| ![Show Contents]() Kohen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of KohenWhat does the name Kohen mean? Jewish surnames were reserved for exceptional individuals, people who were scholars and poets. Therefore, families began to use their surnames as a sign of prominence because of their established family name. 1 The distinguished surname Kohen is a proud sign of an ancient Jewish culture. The surname Kohen is an occupational surname for a priest, and it comes from the Hebrew word "kohen." Traditionally, priests were considered to have been members of a hereditary caste, descended from Aaron, the brother of Moses. Not all Jewish bearers of the surname Kohen belong to this caste, however. When many Jews were being forced to join the Russian Army for a term of 25 years, a number of them changed their last name to Kohen, because members of the clergy were exempt from service. Kohen Spelling VariationsSpelling variations of this family name include: Cohen, Kahn, Cohan, Cohn, Coen, Kohn, Kohen, Cahan, Cahn, Cahen, Kahen, Cohane, Kahane, Kahan, Cohani, Cahani, Cahany, Kahany, Cahana, Kahana, Cohener, Kohener, Kohaner, Kahner, Kahaner, Cohansky, Cahansky, Kahansky, Kogen, Kogan, Cagan, Kagan, Kuhn and many more.
| Kohen migration to the United States | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Kohen Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Moses Kohen, who settled in Philadelphia in 1839
Kohen Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- Mr. Henry Kohen, (b. 1874), aged 26, Cornish lawyer travelling aboard the ship "St Louis" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 8th September 1900 en route to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA 3
| Contemporary Notables of the name Kohen (post 1700) | + |
- Herman E. Kohen, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Ohio, 1932 4
- Sami Kohen (1928-2021), Turkish journalist and columnist who wrote regular columns about foreign policy for Milliyet since 1954
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