What does cohen mean?
A cohen is a hereditary priest in traditional Judaism, a status passed down from father to son within families believed to descend from Aaron, the brother of Moses. In synagogue practice, cohens are granted distinctive honors: they are called first to the public reading of the Torah and, in many communities, they perform the dukhening ceremony, raising their hands to bless the congregation. Certain customs attach to the role, including traditional restrictions such as avoiding contact with the dead. The word enters English largely through writing about Jewish life and liturgy, where the Hebrew forms kohen and kohanim also appear frequently. Although "Cohen" is now one of the most widespread Jewish surnames worldwide, the surname does not reliably indicate priestly descent, since many families adopted the name for other reasons. The cohen represents one of the oldest continuously recognized hereditary offices still observed in any living religious tradition.
nounA member of the hereditary Jewish priesthood, traditionally descended from Aaron, the brother of Moses, and accorded special religious duties and honors in Judaism.
- A hereditary priest in traditional Judaism, descended from Aaron, with specific ritual duties such as the priestly blessing and being called first to the Torah.
"As a cohen, he was called first to the reading of the Torah on Shabbat morning."
"Because he was a cohen, the rabbi invited him to recite the blessing over the congregation during the festival service."
"Tradition holds that a cohen should not enter a cemetery, which shaped how the funeral procession was arranged."
In everyday English, "cohens" refers to multiple individuals; the Hebrew plural "kohanim" is preferred in liturgical and scholarly contexts for the priestly class collectively.
"Several kohanim were called up to the Torah before the rest of the congregation."
The surname Cohen is one of the oldest family names still in continuous use — many bearers claim unbroken descent from Aaron, brother of Moses, over three thousand years ago.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cohen
The word derives from Hebrew כֹּהֵן (kohen), meaning "priest," the title used throughout the Hebrew Bible for the descendants of Aaron who served in the Tabernacle and later the Temple in Jerusalem. It entered English through translations of and writings about Jewish scripture and practice. The Semitic root behind the word appears in related forms across neighboring languages, such as Arabic kahin, originally denoting a soothsayer or diviner. In modern usage the Hebrew plural kohanim preserves the traditional collective term for the priestly class.
How cohen is actually used
In English contexts the word usually appears in discussions of Jewish religious practice; the Hebrew spellings "kohen" and plural "kohanim" are more common in liturgical and scholarly writing. It is distinct from rabbis — a rabbi is a teacher and legal authority, whereas a cohen's status is inherited through the paternal line rather than earned through study.
Easily confused with cohen
"Cohen" with a capital C is by far most often encountered as a common Jewish surname, while "cohen" (or the Hebrew-derived spelling "kohen") refers to the priestly status itself; not everyone named Cohen descends from priests.
A khan is a historical ruler or nobleman title of Central Asian and Middle Eastern origin, entirely unrelated to the Jewish priestly office despite the similar consonant sounds.