Cohen Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Cohen last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Cohen coat of arms for you.
Meaning and origin of the Cohen last name
Meaning of the Cohen last name: priest. Cohen comes from the Hebrew kohen, "priest", and is traditionally carried by families who trace their line to Aaron, the brother of Moses. Members of the priestly line served in the Temple of Jerusalem, and they still give the priestly blessing in many synagogues. The name has many forms, including Cohn, Kohn, Kahn and Katz. A curious detail: Cohen is one of the most widespread Jewish surnames in the world.
Arms associated with the Cohen name
Arms associated with Cohen families often show two hands raised in blessing, the traditional symbol of the priestly line.
Get your full Cohen family history
This is only a glimpse of the Cohen story. The full Cohen history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Cohen coat of arms. Get the full Cohen report.
Cohen name FAQ
What does the Cohen name mean?
Priest. Common variants include Cohn, Kohn, Kahn.
Where does the Cohen surname come from?
It originates in Israel & the Jewish diaspora, and is also found in the United States, France and the United Kingdom.
Is there a Cohen coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Cohen coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).