Given name & surname
Coley
“a swarthy woman; having coal-black hair”·“having dark features; having coal-black hair”
Coley is a variant of Cole. Interpretations include “a swarthy woman; having coal-black hair” (English) and “having dark features; having coal-black hair” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Coley is a variant of Cole. Interpretations include “a swarthy woman; having coal-black hair” (English) and “having dark features; having coal-black hair” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Coley is a variant of Cole. A possible origin is English, although the derivation remains uncertain.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1881. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Coley is a variant of Cole. The history of Cole gives this family its wider story. Cole’s naming history includes the use of a family name as a given name.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Coley through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,377
- 2,029 boys · 348 girls
- Most popular year
- 2008
- 42 babies
- 2025
- 15
- #9,075 for boys · #12,185 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −21%
- Easing
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 8 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 9,075 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 29.4% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 37 in 1993. It also appeared in 7 birth records for girls in 2025. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,505 as a first name in 2020; 15,180 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 3
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Similar names
If you love Coley, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Quincey
“the fifth-born child”
51% boys · 49% girls
Conley
“one who is pure; chaste”
63% boys · 37% girls
Kemper
“one who is noble”
62% boys · 38% girls
Daley
“of the assembly”
36% boys · 64% girls
Kaylen
“a mighty warrior”
29% boys · 71% girls
Kiernan
“having dark features; the little dark one”
69% boys · 31% girls
Karman
“the lord of the manor”
35% boys · 65% girls
Cortney
“a courteous woman; courtly” · “a courteous man; courtly”
65% boys · 35% girls