Cohen (surname)

Cohen (כֹּהֵן), 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.

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 קשדן 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