boy's name
Kohen
KOH-en
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 10,144
the United States
#295
2025 births
Kohen is a boy's name of Hebrew origin meaning "priest". It names the hereditary priestly line descended from Aaron, and for that reason it is rarely used as a given name within Jewish tradition, where it describes a status rather than a person.
- Kohen is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in 2025, when 1,160 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 2,858 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1996.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Kohen over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1990s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1990s | 12 |
| 2000s | 850 |
| 2010s | 2,999 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 4,700 |
What Kohen means
Kohen means priest. In Hebrew it is not a personal name at all but a role — a man of the priestly line, responsible for the Temple service — and it passes by descent rather than by choice.
Where Kohen comes from
Kohen comes from the Hebrew kohen, a priest, and specifically the hereditary priesthood traced to Aaron, brother of Moses. Kohanim retained particular obligations and restrictions in Jewish law long after the Temple was destroyed, and the status still governs certain synagogue honors today. The surname Cohen and its variants Cohn, Kahn and Katz record that descent, which is why it is among the most common Jewish surnames. Using it as a first name is a modern English-language development and sits oddly with the tradition, since no one is named priest — one either is or is not born into the line. It appears in our records from 1996.
Kohen in use
Kohen first appears in our records in 1996 and reached its highest recorded use in 2025.
How popular is Kohen?
In 2025, Kohen was given to 1,160 babies in the United States, ranking #295 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Kohen is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Kohen
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Kohen also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Kohen over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Kohen in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Kohen
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Kohen — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Kohen
What does the name Kohen mean?
Priest, from the Hebrew kohen — specifically the hereditary priesthood descended from Aaron.
Is Kohen a Jewish name?
The word is Hebrew and names a hereditary status, but using it as a given name is a modern English-language practice rather than a Jewish one.
What is the difference between Kohen and Cohen?
Cohen is the traditional surname spelling recording priestly descent. Kohen is a respelling used as a first name.
How popular is the name Kohen?
In 2025, Kohen was given to 1,160 babies in the United States, ranking #295 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Kohen a girl's or a boy's name?
Kohen is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Kohen?
Kohen has 2 syllables.
When was Kohen most popular?
Kohen peaked in 2025, when 1,160 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Kohen a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Kohen currently ranks #295 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.