Kohen
Kohen is the Hebrew word for "priest", used in reference to the Aaronic priesthood, also called Aaronites or Aaronides. They are traditionally believed, and halakhically required, to be of direct patrilineal descent from the biblical Aaron, brother of Moses, and thus belong to the Tribe of Levi.
Meaning & Origin of Kohen
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Kohen is the Hebrew word for "priest", used in reference to the Aaronic priesthood, also called Aaronites or Aaronides. They are traditionally believed, and halakhically required, to be of direct patrilineal descent from the biblical Aaron, brother of Moses, and thus belong to the Tribe of Levi.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Kohen
Kohen first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1996, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 1,178 Kohens were born — ranking #285 that year. As of 2026, Kohen ranks #285 for baby boys with 1,178 births, rising sharply (+128% over the past five years). In total, more than 10K Kohens have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Kohen
Phonetically similar names — useful when Kohen is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Kohen
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About the name Kohen
Kohen is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1996 and has accumulated 10K births in the dataset. Kohen's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #285. Use the chart and map above to compare Kohen's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
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Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.