Cohen (surname)

Cohen (surname)
Cohen, also spelled Cohn, Kohn, or Kahn, is a surname of Jewish, Samaritan and Biblical origins (see: Kohen). It is a very common Jewish surname (the most common in Israel), and the following information discusses only that origin. Cohen is one of the four Samaritan last names that exist in the modern day. Many Jewish immigrants entering the United States or United Kingdom changed their name from Cohen to Cowan (sometimes spelled "Cowen"), as Cowan was a Scottish name. The name "Cohen" is also used as a given name.
Origin
Bearing the surname often (although not always) indicates that one's patrilineal ancestors were priests in the Temple of Jerusalem. Although not all Kohenic lines stem from Aaron, the brother of Moses, he is generally regarded as the patriarch of the lineage and the first Kohen. A single such priest was known as a Kohen, and the hereditary caste descending from these priests is collectively known as the Kohanim. As multiple languages were acquired through the Jewish diaspora, the surname acquired dozens of variants. Not all persons with related surnames are kohanim, and not all kohanim have related surnames.
Some Kohanim have added a secondary appellation to their surname, so as to distinguish themselves from other Kohanim—such as Cohen-Scali of Morocco, who trace their lineage to Zadok, and Cohen-Maghari (Meguri) of Yemen, who trace their lineage to Jehoiarib, one of the priestly divisions.
Being a Kohen imposes some limitations: by Jewish law a Kohen may not marry a divorced woman, and may not marry a proselyte (someone who converted to Judaism). Nor should an observant Kohen come into contact with the dead or enter a cemetery unless for the death of a close relative.
An effort to test whether people named 'Cohen' actually have a common genetic origin has been undertaken, using a genealogical DNA test associated with the Cohen Modal Haplotype (see Y-chromosomal Aaron).
Katz
The Katz surname is a possible indicator of being a Kohen/Cohen: it may stem from "Kohen Tzedek", meaning "righteous or authentic priest."
Other last names with similar indication are Kohentov and Kohenteb; the suffix literally means good, meaning that one could rely on them as being a Kohen when needing one for redeeming a firstborn male child.
See also
Variants of Cohen
Variant surnames
Coyne
Coinn
Cahn
Coen
Cohan
Cohn
Coin (surname) Italian variant
Kahane
Kahanow
Kahn
Kohn
Kon (surname) Polish variant
Cowan
Kaner
Kagan (surname) (transliterated from Russian)
Kaganovich (disambiguation)
Kogan
Kogen (disambiguation)
Kogon (surname)
Kohányi
Kohen
Chapman
Kohanian, Kohanyan
Kots
List of people with surname Cohen
Cowan (surname)#As a Jewish surname
By origin
There are numerous variations to the spelling of the surname Cohen. These are often corrupted by translation or transliteration into or from other languages, as exemplified below (not a complete list).
Arabic: al-Kohen, al-Kahen, al-Kahin, Tawil, Tabili, Taguili
Armenian: Kohanian, Kohanyan
Croatian: Svećenski
Dutch: Cohen, Käin, Kohen, Chaplin, Kohn, Kon, Cogen
English: Cohen, Kohen, Cowen, Cowan, Cahn, Kahn, Cahan, Carne, Cohn, Cone, Conn, Conway, Cohan, Cohaner, Cahanman, Chapman, Chaplan, Keohan, Kaplan, Katz (a Hebrew abbreviation for kohen zedek (כהן צדק) "righteous priest"), HaCohen, (Cohan is also an Irish surname and Conway is also a surname of Welsh origin)
French: Cahen, Cohen, Caen, Cahun, Chon, Kahane, Kohen
Georgian: Koenishvili, Kohen
German: Kohn, Cohn, Kogen, Kohen, Korn, Kern, Prohn, Prohen, Kuhn, Kahn, Cahn, Kane, Kaner, Konel, Cön/Coen, Jachmann, Jachmann-Kohn, Jachkone, Kogenmann, Kogenman, Kogner, Kogener, Kagen, Kohnberger, Kohnstamm, Cohner, Kohner, Kahnmann, Kahaneman, Cahnmann, Korenfeld
Greek: Koen, Kots, Kotais, Kotatis, Kothanis (see Romaniote Jews)
Ancient/Modern Hebrew: Kohen, HaKohen, ben-Kohen, bar-Kohen, Koheni, Kahana, Kohanim, Kohen-Tzedek/Kohen-Tzadik (Katz)
Hungarian: Kohn, Kohen, Korn, Korenfeld, Káhán, Konel
Irish: Cohen, Coyne, Coinn, Conn, Cowan
Italian: Coen, Cohen, Coin, Kohen, Prohen, Sacerdote ("priest"), Sacerdoti, Sacerdoti Coen, Rappaport (and variants)
Serbian: Koen, Kohen, Kon, Kojen
Persian: Koaen, Kohan, Kohen, Kohanzâd, Kohanchi, Kohani, Kohanqâdoš, Kohanteb
Polish: Kon, Kochan, Jach, Kaplan, Kaplin, Kaplon
Portuguese: Cão, Cunha, Coutinho, Correia, Coelho
Romanian: Conu, Cozer
Russian: Kogan, Kogen, Kogon, Kogensohn, Kagan, Kaganovich, Kaganovsky, Kohen, Kokhen (Kochen), Kazhdan/Kazdan/Kasdan (in Hebrew, this name is spelled "kaf-shin-daled-nun" and is an acronym for "Kohanei Shluchei DeShmaya Ninhu," which is Aramaic for "priests are the messengers of heaven")
Somali: Kaahin
Spanish: Coen, Cohen, Koen, Kohen, Cannoh, Canno, Canoh, Coy, Cano, Cao, Corena, Correa
Turkish: Kohen, Köhen, Akohen, Erkohen, Kohener, Özsezikli, Duek, Dovek, Kan, Bildirici, Şapkacıoğlu, Öztuzcu, Yanarocak
References
External links
"The Tribe: The Cohen-Levi Family Heritage"
Hebrew-language surnames
Kohenitic surnames
Surnames of Jewish origin
Occupational surnames
Modern names of Hebrew origin