Kahn

Kahn is a surname of Germanic origin that is found in German-speaking countries and among Ashkenazi Jewish communities. It largely arises as an occupational name derived from the German word Kahn, meaning a canal boat or barge, historically associated with boatmen or people who operated boats on rivers and canals. The spelling has many variants, including Khan, Cahn, and Cahen, and in some families Kahn may reflect different transliterations or local linguistic influences.

Distribution of the name reflects historical migration patterns, with concentrations in Germany and Austria as well as in the Netherlands. Large populations also exist in North America due to immigration in the 19th and 20th centuries, where Kahn is common among people of German and Jewish ancestry. Today the name appears across a range of professions and countries.

Notable people with the surname Kahn include Herman Kahn, an American theoretical physicist and military strategist; Louis Kahn, an Estonian-born American architect known for influential modernist works; Julius Kahn, a U.S. Representative from California; Fritz Kahn, a German physician and science writer; David Kahn, an American writer and historian of cryptography; and Michael Kahn, an American film editor. The name has appeared in various fields, including politics, science, architecture, literature, and cinema, reflecting its broad geographic and cultural reach.