Cohen

Cohen - A very unique male name

Cohen appeared on the charts for the first time in 1919 on position #1540. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Cohen and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Cohen? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Cohen. The baby boy name Cohen was given to 1,580 baby boys in 2025, ranking #224 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 928 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Cohen peaked in popularity 1 years ago in 2025 on position 224.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Cohen, 1-5?

Cohen is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Cohen is currently topping the baby name charts in West Virginia at position #49 - and is the least popular in New Jersey at position #941.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Cohen is where you live.

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Cohen origin and meaning

Jewish surname, from Hebrew

"Priest" — Hebrew kohen, the hereditary priestly caste descended from Aaron

Cohen is one of the most recognizable Jewish surnames, borne by descendants of the Temple priests. As a first name it is recent and fast-rising in America, reaching its peak in 2025, chosen largely for its sound — like Owen with a harder edge.

Attested etymology

Cohen is a 5 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Cohen, pop culture references for the name Cohen and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Cohen

We've found the following names that sound similar to Cohen, sorted by popularity.

Chaim / Cason / Cannon / Casen / Cayson / Cain / Connie / Canaan / Coen / Cassian /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Cohen

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Cohen a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Cohen?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

KOH-en · /ˈkoʊən/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Coen — A spelling variant without the h

Famous bearers

None yet — no bearer for this name is documented well enough for us to list, so we show none rather than pad the list.

Style

Surname

Why parents choose it

Parents choose Cohen for its strong, contemporary sound and surname style, often without a connection to its origin.

Worth knowing

• Cohen is a sacred priestly title in Judaism, and some Jewish people find its use as a fashion first name offensive — this is the name's real and well-documented friction.
• It is frequently misspelled Coen or Cohan, and misheard as Owen.