How popular is the baby name Cole in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Cole.

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Popularity of the baby name Cole


Posts that mention the name Cole

Mason Dixon: Good baby name?

An Ann Landers column from 1995 featured a letter from one Mrs. Dixon, whose husband wanted to name their child Mason — “Mason Dixon” (as in, the Mason-Dixon line).

“I’m afraid our son would be made fun of throughout his life,” Mrs. Dixon said.

Ann agreed: “I’m on your side. To saddle a child with the name Mason Dixon would surely make him a lifelong butt of jokes.”

The reader responses printed a few months later, though, tended to be more supportive.

  • From Rose Rose: “I attribute my sense of humor to the fact that I had such an unusual name.”
  • From Mason Dickson: “Go for it. I’ve had a lot of fun with this name, and people always remember me.”
  • From Janice Mason Jarr, formerly Janice Mason Dixon: “No great improvement.”

Where do you stand on the name Mason Dixon — thumbs up or thumbs down?

Source: “Unusual name is just fine.” Portsmouth Daily Times 19 Jun. 1995: B4.

Popular baby names in Manitoba & Saskatchewan (Canada), 2011

Liam was the most popular baby boy name in both Manitoba and Saskatchewan last year. The other top names in the neighboring Canadian provinces were…

Manitoba:

Boy NamesGirl Names
1. Liam
2. Ethan
3. Noah
4. Logan
5. Lucas
6. Benjamin
7. Mason
8. Jayden
9. Carter
10. Jacob/Alexander [tie]		1. Olivia
2. Ava
3. Emily
4. Sophia
5. Emma
6. Hailey/Sophie [tie]
7. Chloe/Isabella [tie]
8. Lily
9. Brooklyn
10. Abigail/Ella [tie]

Saskatchewan:

Boy NamesGirl Names
1. Liam
2. Jacob
3. Ethan
4. Mason
5. Lucas
6. Hunter
7. Noah
8. William
9. Carter
10. Cole		1. Emma
2. Ava
3. Sophia
4. Olivia
5. Chloe
6. Emily
7. Hailey
8. Lily
9. Ella
10. Abigail

Sources: Sask. most popular baby names released, Liam top baby name in ‘Toba

A Grey & Black baby name?

A reader named Jessica contacted me a few days ago with an interesting question.

She and her husband have one son, named Cruz. They are expecting a second son in December. The only name they’re both really enthusiastic about is Grey.

The problem? Their last name starts with the word “black.” Let’s say it’s Blackburn. So, if the baby’s first name were Grey, his full name would be Grey Blackburn.

Jessica and her husband aren’t so sure about the combination:

What do you think? Is the Grey-Black color pairing ridiculous?

Jessica’s question reminded me Julie’s question about the initials S.O.S. from last year. Both cases have to do with given names that are perfectly fine (Samuel Otis; Grey) but surnames that create issues (S.O.S.; Grey Blackburn).

My take? I wouldn’t say the pairing is ridiculous. I think Grey is usable.

But, personally, I’d keep looking. (Especially since there’s so much time left!)

There are thousands of good names out there. I’ll bet Jessica and her husband could find at least a few others as enticing as Grey, but that mesh better with their surname.

What’s your opinion of Grey in this situation?

P.S. I can’t resist throwing in some suggestions:

Cole
Dane
Drake
Gage 		Graham
Grant
Guy
Kai 		Kent
Pace
Paul
Pierce 		Quinn
Tate
Trent
Ty

What was River Phoenix’s birth name?

River Bottom. Really! The family’s original surname was Bottom.

River Jude Bottom was born in a log cabin in Oregon in 1970. His parents named him River after the “river of life” in Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha. His middle name came from the Beatles song “Hey Jude.”

After the family joined and then left a religious cult, they “changed their name to Phoenix, after the mythical bird that rises from its own ashes” to symbolize their new beginning.

Sources:

  • Boyd, Blanche McCrary. “Ahead of the Pack.” Premiere Apr. 1988.
  • Wake, Jacqueline. “Face of the Day.” Herald [Glasgow] 20 Jul. 2000: 40.