Kahn
A surname most often linked to the Hebrew word for a priestly line, and also found as a Germanized spelling of related forms.
The #2,473 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 21,170 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Kahn is commonly explained as a German form of Cohen, the Jewish hereditary priestly title from Hebrew. In that sense, the name points to descent from, or association with, the priestly caste in Jewish tradition. In some Germanic contexts, the spelling also overlaps with similar-looking surnames and local variants, so not every family with this name will share the same origin.
History
The name is well attested among Ashkenazi Jewish families in Central and Eastern Europe, often alongside spellings such as Kohn and Kohnstamm. Nineteenth-century surname writers regularly treated Kahn as related to Cohen, though they also noted regional spelling variation and occasional confusion with other forms. The surname later spread widely through migration to English-speaking countries, especially in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname dictionaries sometimes grouped Kahn with Kohn and Kohnstamm, reflecting the strong tendency for Jewish surnames to shift spelling across languages and record-keeping systems.
From the historical record
“KAHN (Heb.) a Ger. form of Cohen, q.v. in Diet. KAISER "I (Ger.) Emperor, Cssar [O.H.Ger. KAYSER J fejjwr = O.Sax. Usur = Goth. kaisar; all f. Lat, Caesar] 'Kaiser' is the oldest German word borrowed from Latin. Cp. Cayser in Diet.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)