Kohner
A name of German origin denoting one who lived near a coal mine.
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the first name Kohner. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kohner today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kohner births was 2012 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kohner. 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
116
~ 1 in 2,954,779 Americans
Peak year
2012
12 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2017 SSA rank
#11,557
Tracked since 2000
Popularity
Kohner: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kohner from the 2000s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 64 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
Kohner 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 Kohner 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 Kohner
The name Kohner is believed to have its origins in the Yiddish language, which is a blend of German and Hebrew dialects spoken by Ashkenazi Jewish communities in Central and Eastern Europe. The name is thought to be derived from the Hebrew word "kohen," which means "priest" or "clergyman."
In ancient times, the Kohanim were members of the priestly class within the Israelite community, tracing their lineage back to Aaron, the brother of Moses. The Kohanim were tasked with performing religious rituals and maintaining the spiritual well-being of the community. The name Kohner likely emerged as a way to identify individuals with priestly ancestry or connections to the Kohanim.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kohner can be found in the 16th century, when a Jewish scholar named Moshe Kohner lived in Poland. He was known for his contributions to the study of the Talmud, a central text in Jewish law and theology.
In the 18th century, a notable figure bearing the name Kohner was Mordechai Kohner, a renowned Talmudic scholar and rabbi who lived in Poland. He authored several works on Jewish law and tradition, cementing his place in the intellectual history of the Jewish community.
During the 19th century, a prominent Kohner was Raphael Kohner, a British-born artist and painter. Born in 1828, Raphael Kohner was known for his landscapes and portraits, and his works were exhibited at the Royal Academy in London.
Another noteworthy individual with the name Kohner was Max Kohner, a German-born American film producer and talent agent. Born in 1889, Max Kohner played a significant role in the Hollywood film industry, representing various actors and artists throughout his career.
In the 20th century, one of the most famous individuals with the name Kohner was Susan Kohner, an American actress born in 1936. She received critical acclaim for her role in the 1959 film "Imitation of Life," for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
While the name Kohner has its roots in the Jewish community, it has transcended cultural and religious boundaries over time, with individuals from various backgrounds adopting or being given this name. However, its historical connection to the priestly class of ancient Israel remains a significant part of its origin and meaning.
People
Kohner + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kohner as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Kohner: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kohner?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 116 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kohner 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 2,954,779 US residents.
Is Kohner a common name?
We classify Kohner as "Very Rare". It ranks above 66.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 117 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kohner most popular?
The single biggest year for Kohner was 2012, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kohner is about 17 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Kohner in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kohner a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kohner 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.
Is Kohner still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kohner in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Kohner can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Kohner?
You can see how many people have the name Kohner on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.