Cohen

How to say it

/ˈkoʊ.ən/

What it means

Hebrew Kohen ('priest'). In Jewish tradition, Kohanim are descendants of Aaron and the priestly class of ancient Israel. The Hebrew surname Cohen is among the most common Jewish surnames worldwide.

Cohen comes from the Hebrew Kohen ('priest'). In Jewish tradition, the Kohanim are the descendants of Aaron, brother of Moses, and traditionally serve as priests in the Temple in Jerusalem; the surname Cohen (and its variants Kohn, Kahn, Kogan) is among the most common Jewish surnames worldwide. Some Jewish-tradition observers find the use of Cohen as a first name uncomfortable, since the name traditionally signals priestly descent rather than personal identity. Leonard Cohen (1934-2016), the Canadian singer-songwriter and poet of Hallelujah and Suzanne, gave the surname literary anchor. As a first name Cohen is recent and American, surging in the 2000s. It entered the US top 200 in 2014. Single short forms aren't common.

Heads-up notes

• Worth knowing

  Cohen as a first name (rather than surname) is a 21st-century American development; some Jewish-tradition observers find it uncomfortable, since Kohen traditionally signals priestly lineage rather than personal identity.

Who's worn it

Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.

• Leonard Cohen Canadian singer-songwriter and poet, Hallelujah and Suzanne (Cohen as surname)
• Sacha Baron Cohen British comedian and actor, Borat and Ali G (Cohen as surname)

Spelling variants

• Kohen
• Koen

Names with the same feeling

• Jackson Son of Jack
• Carter Driver of a cart
• Knox Round hill
• Hudson Son of Hudd
• Easton East town

See Cohen from another angle