Cohn

Cohn is a surname of German and Ashkenazi Jewish origin. It is a variant of Cohen, which derives from the Hebrew word kohen, meaning priest. Traditionally, Kohanim are considered to be descendants of the ancient priests of the Temple in Jerusalem, and the surname was used by families to denote priestly status. The form Cohn emerged as a Germanized or transliterated spelling of Cohen and was reinforced by spelling conventions in Central and Eastern Europe.

Variants of the name include Cohen, Kohn, Coen, Kohen, and other transliterations as families adapted to different languages and alphabets. The surname is common among Jewish communities in Europe and the Americas and spread widely through migration and diaspora communities to the United States, Israel, Canada, and beyond. While the association with priestly lineage is historical, modern bearers of the surname have diverse religious and cultural identities.

As a common surname, Cohn appears across many professions and cultural contexts. Notable bearers span fields such as academia, the arts, business, and public life, reflecting the broad distribution of the name rather than a single lineage or tradition. The spelling Cohn is sometimes confused with related surnames like Cohen and Kohn, and individual family histories may differ in their geographic origins and genealogical background.

See also: Cohen (surname); Kohn (surname); Coen (surname).