Cohen: Meaning, Popularity, Origin of Baby Name Cohen | Boys
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- Comments and insights on the name Cohen: | Edit
"...observant Jews often take exception with the use of Cohen -- a surname and title indicating the hereditary priestly line -- as a first name." - Ask the Name Lady
This is an extremely controversial name. The use of Cohen as a first name, by gentiles, is considered offensive or sacrilegious by Orthodox Jews. Cohen doesn't just have a priestly meaning, it is considered to be a sacred bloodline. Just leave this name alone. People think its fine because they heard it on TV, not realizing that the character on the OC WAS Jewish and Cohen was his LAST name. Using this as a name is AT BEST culturally insensitive, and ignorant.
- Personal experiences with the name Cohen: | Edit
We just named our 4th boy Cohen. I'm a labor and delivery nurse, which makes it sometimes hard when it comes to naming a baby, especially when we've already used so many good boy names! We were thinking of "Owen" this last time around, but it was just getting too popular for my liking. As we were considering it, someone asked us what we thought we might name it if it were a boy, told them "Owen", and they thought we said "Cohen". We loved it so much, and I hadn't heard of it being used in my experiences at the hospital as a baby name, so we went with that! We love it!
- Nicknames for Cohen: | Edit
my sons name is cohen and we call him coco for short lol
I also use coco, and COCOBEANS
- Meanings and history of the name Cohen: | Edit
It's a Jewish surname with real religious and cultural meaning. It's sacrilegious and offensive to many religious Jews to use this name.
- Famous real-life people named Cohen: | Edit
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- Cohen in song, story & screen: | Edit
on the Oc, the main characters family name is Cohen. Their teenage son, his friends called him Cohen.
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Global Popularity of the Name Cohen
- #64 in Canada (Alberta)
- #74 in Canada (British Columbia)
- #294 in Scotland
- #356 in United States

Surnames of the British Isles are a hot American name style. Surnames of Jewish tradition are not...except this one. Cohen is a surprising hit name, propelled by its simple, trendy sound (and by comedian Sacha Baron Cohen). Ironically, religious Jews consider Cohen inappropriate as a baby name; it's a title of the ancient priests of Israel and their descendents. Cowan is an unrelated Celtic surname.
From The Baby Name Wizard by Laura Wattenberg. Buy the book