NameCensus.

UK surname

Cohn

A Jewish surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from the Hebrew word for "priest" or a place name.

In the 1881 census there were 124 people recorded with the Cohn surname, ranking it #17,429 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 171, ranked #21,726, down from #17,429 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Dunstan Stepney and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Herefordshire, Camden and Barnet.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cohn is 172 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 37.9%.

1881 census count

124

Ranked #17,429

Modern count

171

2016, ranked #21,726

Peak year

2015

172 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cohn had 124 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,429 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 171 in 2016, ranked #21,726.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 171 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Cohn surname distribution map

The map shows where the Cohn surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Cohn surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cohn over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 14 #30,790
1861 historical 24 #30,922
1881 historical 124 #17,429
1891 historical 123 #20,939
1901 historical 163 #17,205
1911 historical 171 #16,461
1997 modern 166 #19,797
1998 modern 164 #20,505
1999 modern 171 #20,072
2000 modern 159 #20,975
2001 modern 154 #21,122
2002 modern 159 #21,086
2003 modern 155 #21,217
2004 modern 150 #21,830
2005 modern 147 #22,057
2006 modern 149 #22,013
2007 modern 146 #22,596
2008 modern 142 #23,270
2009 modern 149 #23,031
2010 modern 155 #22,985
2011 modern 155 #22,790
2012 modern 161 #22,157
2013 modern 169 #21,826
2014 modern 169 #22,006
2015 modern 172 #21,649
2016 modern 171 #21,726

Geography

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Where Cohns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Dunstan Stepney, Manchester and St John Hampstead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Herefordshire, Camden and Barnet. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Dunstan Stepney London (East Districts)
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 St John Hampstead London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Herefordshire 018 Herefordshire, County of
2 Camden 002 Camden
3 Barnet 034 Barnet
4 Barnet 033 Barnet
5 Barnet 037 Barnet

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cohn

These lists show first names that appear often with the Cohn surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cohn

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Cohn, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Cohn surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Cohn household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Cohn is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cohn is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cohn falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cohn is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 40-50 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

7
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

This describes the area pattern most associated with Cohn, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Cohn

The surname Cohn is a variant of the Hebrew name Cohen, which originated from the Biblical Hebrew word "Kohen" meaning "priest." The name traces its roots back to ancient Israel, where the Kohanim were members of the priestly class, descended from Aaron, the brother of Moses.

The name Cohn is believed to have originated in the Rhineland region of Germany during the Middle Ages, where many Jewish communities were established. It was a common practice for Jews to adopt surnames based on their professions, places of origin, or other distinguishing characteristics. In this case, the surname Cohn was likely adopted by families of the priestly lineage.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Cohn can be found in the 13th-century Memorbuch, a record of deceased members of the Jewish community in Nuremberg, Germany. This document mentions individuals with the name Cohn, indicating that the surname was already in use by that time.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Cohn. One of the earliest was Rabbi Yaakov ben Moshe Hakohen Cohn (1610-1668), a prominent Talmudic scholar and author from Krakow, Poland. Another notable figure was Ferdinand Cohn (1828-1898), a German botanist and microbiologist who made significant contributions to the study of bacteria and algae.

In the realm of literature, Harry Cohn (1891-1958) was an American film producer and the co-founder of Columbia Pictures. Meanwhile, Alfred Cohn (1892-1953) was a German-American novelist and screenwriter best known for his collaboration with Billy Wilder on the script for the classic film "Double Indemnity."

Other notable individuals with the surname Cohn include Haym Salomon Cohn (1740-1785), a Polish-born Jewish immigrant to America who played a crucial role in financing the American Revolutionary War, and Roy Cohn (1927-1986), an American attorney who gained notoriety for his work as a prosecutor during the McCarthy era and his later involvement in various high-profile legal cases.

While the surname Cohn originated in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world through Jewish migration and diaspora communities. Today, it is found in many countries, including the United States, Israel, and various European nations.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cohn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cohn surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 51 Cohns recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.18x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 51 4.18x
Warwickshire 19 6.18x
Yorkshire 15 1.24x
Lancashire 12 0.83x
Lanarkshire 7 1.78x
Durham 4 1.10x
Essex 4 1.66x
Leicestershire 4 2.96x
Northumberland 3 1.65x
Ayrshire 1 1.10x
Cambridgeshire 1 1.30x
Channel Islands 1 2.77x
Cumberland 1 0.95x
Glamorgan 1 0.47x
Surrey 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Mile End Old Town London in Middlesex leads with 11 Cohns recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.39x.

Place Total Index
Mile End Old Town London 11 42.39x
Cheetham 9 83.41x
Headingley Cum Burley 9 115.68x
Birmingham 8 7.81x
Barony 7 7.02x
Edgbaston 6 62.96x
Hampstead London 6 31.60x
Shoreditch London 6 11.35x
Aston 5 5.91x
Hackney London 5 7.32x
St George In East London 5 43.59x
Bethnal Green London 4 7.55x
Bishopwearmouth 4 12.85x
Hemington 4 2500.00x
Islington London 4 3.39x
Leeds 4 5.86x
St Marylebone London 4 6.15x
West Ham 4 7.53x
Coxlodge 3 217.39x
Finchley 3 64.24x
Toxteth Park 2 4.08x
Battersea 1 2.23x
Blindcrake Isel Redmain 1 714.29x
Bradford 1 3.42x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 4.35x
Dalry 1 23.31x
Llandaff 1 14.16x
Middlesbrough 1 6.36x
Paddington London 1 2.23x
St Luke London 1 5.12x
St Saviour 1 50.00x
Westminster St James 1 7.98x
Wisbech St Peter 1 25.84x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Cohn surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Sarah 4
Clara 3
Emily 3
Emma 3
Leah 3
Ester 2
Matilda 2
Adelaide 1
Amelia 1
Anna 1
Annie 1
Antolletta 1
Augusta 1
Bertha 1
Betsy 1
Doris 1
Edith 1
Elen 1
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
Ellen 1
Elsie 1
Eugenie 1
Fanny 1
Golder 1
Hanah 1
Hannah 1
Henrietta 1
Henriette 1
Ida 1
Infant 1
Katie 1
Lillie 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Marian 1
Mary 1
Maud 1
Mirian 1
Nelly 1
Poshia 1
Prior 1
Rachel 1
Raphael 1
Rebecca 1
Roslyn 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Cohn surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Albert 4
Adolph 3
Julius 3
Gustave 2
Joseph 2
Philip 2
Thomas 2
Abraham 1
Alexander 1
Alexandra 1
Bernhard 1
Carl 1
Charles 1
Clarence 1
David 1
Edgar 1
Edward 1
Ezekiah 1
Frank 1
G. 1
Gentaude 1
Harold 1
Herbert 1
Herman 1
Isaac 1
James 1
John 1
Jonas 1
Leimann 1
Martin 1
Maurice 1
Max 1
Michael 1
Myor 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Seaman 1
Siegmund 1
Simeon 1
William 1

FAQ

Cohn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cohn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 124 people were recorded with the Cohn surname. That placed it at #17,429 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cohn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 171 in 2016. That gives Cohn a modern rank of #21,726.

What does the Cohn surname mean?

A Jewish surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from the Hebrew word for "priest" or a place name.

What does the Cohn map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Cohn bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.