The cole Surname
cole Name Meaning and History
- English: from a Middle English pet form of Nicholas.
- English: from a Middle English personal name derived from the Old English byname Cola (from col ‘(char)coal’, presumably denoting someone of swarthy appearance), or the Old Norse cognate Koli.
- Scottish and Irish: when not of English origin, this is a reduced and altered form of McCool.
- In some cases, particularly in New England, Cole is a translation of the French surname Charbonneau.
- Probably an Americanized spelling of German Kohl.
Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4
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