Cahn

Cahn is a surname of Germanic origin that is found among individuals in a variety of fields and regions. It is often listed as a variant spelling of Kahn and is associated with people in science, humanities, and the arts.

Notable individuals include John W. Cahn (1928–2016), a German-born American materials scientist who helped establish the theoretical framework for phase transformations in solids. He co-developed the Cahn–Hilliard equation in 1958 with John Hilliard, a nonlinear partial differential equation used to model phase separation and coarsening in binary alloys and polymer blends. The equation has become a standard tool in materials science and related disciplines for predicting how microstructures evolve over time.

Another prominent bearer is Walter Cahn, a French-born American art historian known for his work on medieval sculpture and early Christian art. His scholarship contributed to broader understanding of European medieval art traditions and their historical contexts.

In broader usage, the name Cahn is associated with scholarship and inquiry across multiple domains, reflecting its presence in both scientific and humanities communities. The Cahn–Hilliard equation remains the most widely recognized scientific contribution linked to the surname, illustrating how individuals bearing the name have influenced both theory and application in their fields.