Cohan
A masculine Irish name derived from the Gaelic "cuan" meaning harbor.
Name Census estimates that about 333 living Americans carry the first name Cohan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Cohan today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cohan births was 2023 (31 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cohan. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
333
~ 1 in 1,029,292 Americans
Peak year
2023
31 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,800
Tracked since 2003
Popularity
Cohan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Cohan from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 131 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Cohan by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Cohan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Cohan
The given name Cohan has its origins rooted in the Hebrew language and culture. It is believed to have emerged around the 5th century BCE, during the Second Temple period in ancient Judea. The name is derived from the Hebrew word "kohen," which means "priest" or "minister."
In ancient Israelite society, the Kohanim were members of the priestly lineage descended from Aaron, the brother of Moses. They were tasked with performing religious rituals, offering sacrifices, and maintaining the sacred spaces within the Temple in Jerusalem. The name Cohan likely gained prominence as a way to honor and identify individuals belonging to this esteemed lineage.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Cohan can be found in the Hebrew Bible, specifically in the book of Leviticus, where the duties and responsibilities of the Kohanim are outlined in detail. Additionally, the name appears in various Talmudic texts and historical records documenting the lives of prominent Jewish scholars and religious leaders.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Cohan. One of the earliest examples is Cohan ben Amram, a high priest who served during the reign of King Solomon in the 10th century BCE. Another prominent figure was Cohan ben Shallum, a high priest who lived in the 5th century BCE and played a crucial role in the rebuilding of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.
During the Middle Ages, Cohan ben Meir, a renowned Jewish philosopher and Talmudic scholar from the 12th century CE, made significant contributions to the study of Jewish law and ethics. In the 16th century, Cohan Tzadok was a respected rabbi and kabbalist who authored several influential works on Jewish mysticism.
In more recent times, George M. Cohan (1878-1942), an American entertainer and songwriter, gained immense popularity for his patriotic and Broadway productions. He is often referred to as the "Father of American Musical Theatre" and is credited with writing numerous iconic songs, including "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and "You're a Grand Old Flag."
The name Cohan has maintained its connection to the Jewish faith and culture throughout its long history, serving as a reminder of the reverence and significance associated with the priestly lineage in ancient Israel.
People
Cohan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cohan as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Cohan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cohan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 333 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cohan going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,029,292 US residents.
Is Cohan a common name?
We classify Cohan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 80.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 336 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Cohan most popular?
The single biggest year for Cohan was 2023, when 31 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cohan is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Cohan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Cohan in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.