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Cohen Family History

Cohen Surname Meaning

Jewish: from Hebrew kohen ‘priest’. Priests are traditionally regarded as members of a hereditary caste descended from Aaron, brother of Moses.

See also Kaplan.

Irish (Galway and Sligo): variant of Coyne.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Cohen family from?

You can see how Cohen families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Cohen family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Cohen families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 528 Cohen families living in Ontario. This was about 42% of all the recorded Cohen's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Cohen families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Cohen surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Cohen ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Tailor and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Cohen. 13% of Cohen men worked as a Tailor and 28% of Cohen women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Cohen were Manufacturer and Operator.

View Census Data for Cohen | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Tailor
    13%
  • Merchant
    11%
  • Operator
    6%
  • Manufacturer
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    28%
  • Student
    13%
  • Housekeeper
    9%
  • Operator
    9%

What Cohen family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 739,000 census records available for the last name Cohen. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Cohen census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Cohen

Passenger Lists

There are 182,000 immigration records available for the last name Cohen. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Cohen immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 86,000 military records available for the last name Cohen. For the veterans among your Cohen ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Cohen military records

You've only scratched the surface of Cohen family history

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What is the average Cohen lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Cohen life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Cohen in 1940 was 40, and 80 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Cohen

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Cohen ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Cohen family tree

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