Find out how popular the last name Cohan is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Cohan.

Cohan, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Cohan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cohan in America

Cohan is the 12500th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cohan surname appeared 2,480 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Cohan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cohan to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Cohan

The surname COHAN has its origins in Ireland, where it emerged as a variant of the more common Irish surname COHEN. The name can be traced back to the 16th century and is believed to be derived from the Hebrew name "Kohen," which means "priest."

In ancient times, the Cohens were members of the priestly class in the Hebrew tradition, and the name was originally a title bestowed upon those who performed religious duties. As Jews migrated to different parts of Europe, including Ireland, the name evolved into various spellings, such as COHAN, COHANE, and COHANE.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name COHAN can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a historical chronicle compiled in the 17th century by Irish Franciscan monks. The annals mention a "Cohan O'Scannill" who lived in the late 12th century and was a notable figure in County Sligo.

In the 19th century, the name COHAN gained prominence with the birth of George M. Cohan (1878-1942), an American entertainer, playwright, composer, and actor widely regarded as the father of American musical theater. His works, including "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and "Give My Regards to Broadway," have become iconic pieces of American culture.

Another notable bearer of the surname COHAN was Edward Cohan (1905-1977), a British actor and film director who appeared in numerous films throughout the 1930s and 1940s. He is best known for his role in the 1939 film "The Spy in Black."

In the realm of literature, Emma Cohan (1863-1952) was an American author and educator who wrote several books on children's literature and education. Her works, such as "Stories and Rhymes for Children" and "The Singing Heart," were widely popular in the early 20th century.

The name COHAN has also been associated with sports, with Michael Cohan (born 1969) being a former professional basketball player who spent several seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and played for various teams, including the Chicago Bulls and the Miami Heat.

While the surname COHAN may have evolved from its original Hebrew roots, it has become a part of the cultural tapestry of various countries, particularly Ireland and the United States, where it has been borne by notable figures across various fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cohan

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Cohan.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Cohan was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Cohan has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Cohan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Cohan, please contact us.

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