Cohen is the Hebrew word kohen, "priest", and the surname of families descended from the priests of the Temple in Jerusalem; many Jewish communities consider it a hereditary title rather than a first name, which is worth knowing before choosing it. American parents outside that tradition hear a soft surname sound close to Colin and Owen. Cohen entered the US top 1000 in 2004 and has climbed steadily from number 336 in 2015 to number 225 in 2025, its best rank so far.