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Cohen (Hebrew: כֹּהֵן, romanized: kōhēn, lit. 'priest') is a surname of Jewish, Samaritan[1] and Biblical origins (see: Kohen). It is a very common Jewish surname (the most common in Israel).[2] Cohen is one of the four Samaritan last names that exist in the modern day.[citation needed] Many Jewish immigrants entering the United States or United Kingdom changed their name from Cohen to Cowan (sometimes spelled "Cowen"), as Cowan was a Scottish name.[3] The name "Cohen" is also used as a given name.[4]
Origin
[edit]Bearing the surname often (although not always) indicates that one's patrilineal ancestors were priests in the Temple of Jerusalem. Although not all Kohenic lines stem from Aaron, the brother of Moses, he is generally regarded as the patriarch of the lineage and the first Kohen. A single such priest was known as a Kohen, and the hereditary caste descending from these priests is collectively known as the Kohanim.[5] As multiple languages were acquired through the Jewish diaspora, the surname acquired dozens of variants. Not all persons with related surnames are kohanim, and not all kohanim have related surnames.
Some Kohanim have added a secondary appellation to their surname, so as to distinguish themselves from other Kohanim—such as Cohen-Scali of Morocco, who trace their lineage to Zadok,[6] and Cohen-Maghari (Meguri) of Yemen, who trace their lineage to Jehoiarib, one of the priestly divisions.
Being a Kohen imposes some limitations: by Jewish law a Kohen may not marry a divorced woman, and may not marry a proselyte (someone who converted to Judaism).[7] Nor should an observant Kohen come into contact with the dead[8] or enter a cemetery unless for the death of a close relative.
An effort to test whether people named 'Cohen' actually have a common genetic origin has been undertaken, using a genealogical DNA test associated with the Cohen Modal Haplotype (see Y-chromosomal Aaron).
Variants and derivations
[edit]
- Cahn
- Coen[9]
- Cohan
- Cohn
- Kahane (Aramaic for kohen[10])
- Kahanow/Kahanov/Kakhanov/Kokhanov
- Kahn
- For some bearers, the surname Katz may stem from "Kohen Tzedek", meaning "righteous or authentic priest."[11]
- Kohn
- Kon (surname) Polish variant
- Kagan (surname) (transliterated from Russian)
- Arabic: al-Kohen, al-Kahen, al-Kahin, Tawil, Tabili, Taguili
- Ancient/Modern Hebrew: Kohen, HaKohen, ben-Kohen, bar-Kohen
References
[edit]- ^ Schreiber, Mordecai (2011). The Shengold Jewish Encyclopedia. Taylor Trade Publications.
- ^ אלון, אמיר (4 February 2019). "למ"ס: אלה שמות המשפחה הנפוצים בישראל". ynet (in Hebrew).
- ^ Krupnick, Mark (1993). "Assimilation in Recent American Jewish Autobiographies". Contemporary American Jewish Literature. 34 (3). University of Wisconsin Press: 451–474. doi:10.2307/1208683. JSTOR 1208683.
- ^ "What's the Deal With People Using Cohen as a First Name?". November 22, 2019.
- ^ Donin, Rabbi Haim Halevy (1972). To Be A Jew. A Guide to Jewish Observance in Contemporary Life. Basic Books. p. 198. ISBN 9780465086245.
- ^ Shlomo bar Yosef ha-Cohen Atzvan, Ma'alot Shlomo, Jerusalem 1985, p. 56 in PDF (Hebrew)
- ^ Donin p.291
- ^ Donin p.304
- ^ Nissim, Daniele (2001). "FAMIGLIE RAPA E RAPAPORT NELL'ITALIA SETTENTRIONALE (SEC. XV-XVI). CON UN'APPENDICE SULL'ORIGINE DELLA MISCELLANEA ROTHSCHILD". La Rassegna Mensile di Israel. 67 (1): 177–192. JSTOR 41263551. Retrieved 2023-10-31.
- ^ כָּהֵן, כָּהֵין, כַּהֲנָא
- ^ Charles W. Bell (October 4, 1997). "Counting the Cohens, and some of them could be named Katz". The NY Daily News.
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