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

Cohen, 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 Cohen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cohen in America

Cohen is the 351st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cohen surname appeared 89,091 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 30 people would have the surname Cohen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cohen 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 Cohen

The surname Cohen is of Jewish origin, tracing its roots back to ancient times in the Middle East. It is derived from the Hebrew word "kohen," meaning "priest." The Kohanim were members of the priestly caste who descended from Aaron, the brother of Moses and the first high priest of the Israelites.

Cohen is one of the oldest and most widespread Jewish surnames, reflecting the importance of the priestly lineage in Jewish culture and tradition. The name can be found in various spellings, such as Kohn, Kahan, and Kahane, across different regions and languages.

Historical records indicate that the surname Cohen appeared in early Jewish communities across Europe and the Middle East. One of the earliest known references to the name is found in the Cairo Geniza, a remarkable cache of Jewish manuscripts and documents discovered in the late 19th century, dating back to the 10th century.

Prominent figures bearing the surname Cohen include:

1. Hayyim Joseph David Azulay (1724-1806), a renowned Sephardic rabbi and scholar known as the "Hida."
2. Shalom Cohen (1772-1845), a prominent Kabbalist and rabbi from Hebron, Palestine.
3. Sir William Cohen (1810-1878), a British politician and Lord Mayor of London in 1868.
4. Hermann Cohen (1842-1918), a German philosopher and one of the founders of the Marburg School of Neo-Kantianism.
5. Leonard Cohen (1934-2016), a renowned Canadian singer-songwriter, poet, and novelist, widely acclaimed for his poetic lyrics and distinctive baritone voice.

The surname Cohen has also been associated with various place names and locations throughout history. For example, the town of Cohen in France, located in the Normandy region, is believed to have derived its name from early Jewish settlers with the surname Cohen.

While the name Cohen is predominantly Jewish, it has also been adopted by non-Jewish individuals over time, particularly in regions with significant Jewish populations. However, the core meaning and historical significance of the name remain intrinsically linked to its priestly origins within the Jewish tradition.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cohen

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

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 Cohen 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 Cohen 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 Cohen was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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