Ole

Ole - A very unique male name

Ole appeared on the charts for the first time in 1912 on position #668. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Ole and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Ole? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Ole. The baby boy name Ole was given to 6 baby boys in 2025, ranking #3700 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 244,381 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Ole peaked in popularity 114 years ago in 1912 on position 668.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Ole, 1-5?

Ole is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Ole is currently topping the baby name charts in Minnesota at position #780 - and is the least popular in Minnesota at position #780.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Ole is where you live.

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Ole origin and meaning

Scandinavian (Norwegian, Danish)

From Old Norse Óláfr / Áleifr, 'ancestor's descendant' — the short Scandinavian form of Olaf

Ole is the everyday Norwegian and Danish form in the Olaf family, famous in the American Midwest through Ole and Lena jokes and Garrison Keillor's Lake Wobegon tales — fictional colour rather than a bearer. Its US peak was 1915.

Attested etymology

Ole is a 3 letter name with 1 syllables.

To see famous people named Ole, pop culture references for the name Ole and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Ole

We've found the following names that sound similar to Ole, sorted by popularity.

Ollie / Olaoluwa / Ola / Oley / Olie / Olee / Oleh / Olly /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Ole

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Ole a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Ole?

1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

OH-leh · /ˈoʊlə/
Scandinavians say OO-leh; American use often says OH-lee or OH-leh.

Around the world

• Ole (Norwegian) — Standard Norwegian form.
• Ole (Danish) — Standard Danish form.

Spellings and nicknames

• Olaf — The fuller related name.
• Ola — Related Scandinavian form.

Famous bearers

None yet — no bearer for this name is documented well enough for us to list, so we show none rather than pad the list.

Style

InternationalVintage revival

Why parents choose it

Ole is a sturdy Scandinavian heritage name with folk charm.

Worth knowing

• English readers may say 'olay' like the Spanish greeting or the brand.