Kagan

Kagan is a surname of Turkic origin, derived from the title khagan (also spelled khagan, kaghan, or qagan), historically used to denote the supreme ruler of a nomadic or imperial realm. In English-language texts, the form Kagan is common as a surname and occasionally as a given name. The name is borne by people of various backgrounds, reflecting its adoption across cultures.

Historically, the title khagan was used by rulers of several Turkic and Mongolic polities, including empires that governed vast steppes and later transitional states. The word’s enduring resonance in Central Asian and related linguistic contexts contributes to its appearance as a surname in diverse communities today.

Notable people with the surname include Elena Kagan (born 1960), an American lawyer and jurist who has served as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States since 2010. She previously served as Solicitor General of the United States and as Dean of Harvard Law School. Her public career has made the surname Kagan widely recognized in contemporary discourse.

In other instances, individuals bearing the surname Kagan appear in various professional fields, though Elena Kagan remains the most prominent contemporary figure associated with the name. The term Kagan may also be encountered in discussions of historical rulers where transliterations of the title khagan are used.