Discover and Shortlist Your Perfect Baby Names!

Ole as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Ole

♡Add to my Name List

The baby name Ole is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced OH-leh (English: /ˈoʊlə/),OO-leh (Norwegian: /ˈuːlə/).

Ole is Norse in Origin.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Norse
Pronunciation: OH-leh (English: /ˈoʊlə/),OO-leh (Norwegian: /ˈuːlə/)

What is the meaning of the name Ole ?

The baby name Ole is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced OH-leh (English: /ˈoʊlə/),OO-leh (Norwegian: /ˈuːlə/).

Ole is Norse in Origin.

Ole is a Danish and Norwegian given name rooted in Old Norse Óláfr, formed from the elements anu “ancestor, forefather” and leifr “heir, descendant.” It thus conveys the sense “ancestor’s heir” or “relic of the forefathers.” While Ole began as a vernacular short form of Olav/Oluf, it established itself as an independent name. Parish records show heavy use across Denmark and Norway from the 1600s through the 1800s, and Scandinavian migration carried it to North America, where it features in Upper Midwest folklore (the “Ole and Lena” jokes).

Closest variants include Olaf and Olav (Norwegian), Oluf (Danish), Olof/Olov and the diminutive Olle (Swedish), Ola (Scandinavian short form), as well as Finnish Olavi, Olli, and Uolevi, and Faroese/Icelandic Óli. Related surnames like Olsen/Olson mean “son of Ole/Olav.” The name remains a crisp, traditional choice with a warm, down-to-earth image in Scandinavia.

Ole has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Ole

Ole Ernst Actor · Born 1940 · Kingdom of Denmark Ole Ernst Pedersen was a Danish actor best known for his long career in film, television, and theater. He appeared in 95 screen productions between 1967 and 2013, including Min søsters børn vælter byen and Bleeder. Ole Bornedal Actor · Born 1959 · Kingdom of Denmark Ole Bornedal is a Danish filmmaker best known for directing thrillers like Nightwatch and I Am Dina. Born on 26 May 1959, he has also worked as an actor and producer.

Ole – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Germany Boys 2025 #1 — 423
DK Boys 0 #26 1,983 7,401
Norway Boys 2025 #45 135 444
DK 0 #54 250 5,198
AL 0 #76 1 2,372
JP 0 #77 1 4,057
MV Boys 0 #79 1 3,375
LT 0 #88 1 949
MD Girls 0 #92 1 865
JM 0 #93 1 3,714
TW 0 #103 1 4,523
QA 0 #106 1 7,011
OM 0 #121 1 6,215
EE Boys 0 #123 3 2,087
CY Boys 0 #131 1 3,473
Switzerland Boys 2024 #133 5 1,769
BN Boys 0 #139 1 6,332
EE Girls 0 #142 1 1,888
BW Boys 0 #147 8 4,685
LT Boys 0 #149 3 2,166
BW Girls 0 #151 1 4,216
RS Boys 0 #154 1 2,277
HU Boys 0 #173 2 3,954
MT Boys 0 #178 2 4,064
Sweden Boys 2022 #181 2 1,509
AE 0 #186 2 10,220
RU 0 #193 2 3,641
LT Girls 0 #194 7 1,904
BG Boys 0 #220 1 3,850
LU Boys 0 #220 1 4,970
PS 0 #226 1 5,692
BG Girls 0 #231 1 3,559
MO Boys 0 #234 1 5,842
BD 0 #238 4 5,992
NG 0 #271 2 5,926
GR Boys 0 #273 1 6,912
SG 0 #279 4 11,010
IL 0 #282 1 6,291
TW Girls 0 #289 1 8,139
JM Boys 0 #293 1 6,876
HR Girls 0 #294 1 3,687
KZ Boys 0 #294 3 6,578
AL Boys 0 #302 2 5,122
CZ Boys 0 #303 3 6,530
Canada Boys 2022 #304 7 2,557
Germany Boys 0 #311 1,174 5,697
SA 0 #311 2 10,560
PL Boys 0 #322 14 6,459
DK Girls 0 #326 4 7,429
KZ Girls 0 #329 4 5,862
PE 0 #329 1 6,350
Germany 0 #335 105 2,542
GT 0 #338 1 5,948
HK 0 #353 5 8,483
PL Girls 0 #360 5 5,096
MU Boys 0 #367 3 8,477
PT Boys 0 #378 4 7,951
JO Boys 0 #389 1 7,057
Finland Boys 0 #400 28 2,041
PH Boys 0 #405 4 11,440
BD Girls 0 #406 1 8,413
EG 0 #411 2 6,387
UY Boys 0 #413 1 5,922
OM Girls 0 #416 9 15,987
PH Girls 0 #427 3 13,098
Austria Boys 0 #430 13 2,180
CL 0 #434 1 6,867
MX 0 #444 2 8,339
Finland Boys 2026 #455 269 3,552
SD Boys 0 #466 1 10,523
ZA 0 #466 9 14,421
RU Boys 0 #474 32 12,621
RU Girls 0 #476 23 11,913
AR Boys 0 #482 2 7,628
GT Boys 0 #494 6 7,625
PA Boys 0 #505 1 9,305
CR Boys 0 #508 3 10,188
CO 0 #510 1 7,768
PA Girls 0 #518 1 9,861
IQ Girls 0 #525 1 11,303
GT Girls 0 #540 2 7,500
PS Girls 0 #547 1 10,981
HK Boys 0 #549 9 12,905
BD Boys 0 #554 23 10,045
LY 0 #559 1 12,703
KW Girls 0 #560 2 19,177
PS Boys 0 #560 2 10,655
IR Boys 0 #564 2 10,162
CM Boys 0 #573 3 12,054
CR Girls 0 #573 1 11,342
BH 0 #582 6 17,937
AE Girls 0 #593 5 20,968
BO Boys 0 #620 3 9,244
IL Boys 0 #624 2 10,983
AR Girls 0 #630 1 8,289
SG Girls 0 #631 2 18,916
HK Girls 0 #645 6 16,104
IL Girls 0 #645 1 11,648
BO Girls 0 #651 1 9,488
IN Girls 0 #654 1 13,121
SG Boys 0 #676 22 17,960
LB 0 #689 2 13,263
CL Boys 0 #694 7 13,390
IQ Boys 0 #695 3 13,071
QA Boys 0 #695 13 18,093
NL Boys 0 #751 202 5,873
SY 0 #763 5 11,684
BR Boys 0 #785 1 12,213
KW Boys 0 #800 7 18,755
NG Girls 0 #821 6 15,093
Germany Girls 0 #826 13 4,949
OM Boys 0 #855 27 17,948
Spain Boys 0 #873 58 5,610
United States Boys 2024 #874 19 7,044
CO Boys 0 #901 20 15,656
CL Girls 0 #912 4 14,098
PE Boys 0 #919 8 14,506
EG Boys 0 #920 6 15,035
MX Boys 0 #924 59 16,355
PE Girls 0 #929 15 14,861
NG Boys 0 #932 20 16,906
Spain Girls 0 #957 27 5,561
EG Girls 0 #1,003 7 14,742
SA Girls 0 #1,006 9 25,931
IN Boys 0 #1,039 1 16,750
ZA Girls 0 #1,054 88 25,928
ZA Boys 0 #1,056 123 25,619
CO Girls 0 #1,066 13 16,140
MY Girls 0 #1,068 5 24,821
AE Boys 0 #1,072 21 22,615
MY Boys 0 #1,085 27 25,439
MX Girls 0 #1,167 17 17,781
MA 0 #1,196 4 20,986
TR 0 #1,201 11 19,440
DZ 0 #1,232 3 20,130
IT Girls 0 #1,416 31 9,415
IT Boys 0 #1,421 51 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,561 54 28,008

Ole is popular in 76 countries — most recent births per country:

Norway
United States
Switzerland
Germany
Sweden

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Ole

Ole is predominantly a boy's name.
Ole is a 2 syllable name, pronounced OH-leh (English: /ˈoʊlə/),OO-leh (Norwegian: /ˈuːlə/).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Olle and Ola.
Yes, very popular — Ole ranked #1 in Germany in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 7 countries.
Ole ranks highest in Germany (#1 in 2025).
Ole's popularity is rising. It moved from #51 in 2015 to #45 in 2025 in Norway.
Yes — 2 notable people named Ole are in our database, including Ole Ernst (Actor), Ole Bornedal (Actor).