Cahen

Cahen is a surname of French and Jewish origin. It appears in records across France and in the Jewish diaspora, including Belgium, Israel, and North America. The form is often treated as a variant of Cohen, deriving from the Hebrew Kohen, meaning "priest." In Francophone areas, phonetic adaptation and transliteration gave Cahen as a distinct spelling. Some genealogical sources also consider Cahen to be a toponymic or otherwise independent variant, though such connections are less certain.

Throughout the 18th to 20th centuries, Cahen appears in civil registries in Europe, reflecting both priestly-lineage naming and local family histories. The surname has multiple variants in related traditions, including Cohen, Kohn, Kahan, Kahane, and de Cahen.

Today Cahen is borne by people in diverse professions, and the name has spread with migration and diaspora communities. Notable bearers span fields such as science, art, and public life, but there is no single meaning or person universally associated with the name.

See also: Cohen, Kohen, Kahane, Kahn, Caen.