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Cohen (surname)

Cohen (כֹּהֵן kōhēn', means: "A Priest") is a Jewish surname of biblical origins (see: Kohen). It is the most common Jewish surname, comparable to "Smith" in an English-language context.

Bearing the name indicates that the ancestors of a person so named were priests in the Temple of Jerusalem.

Being a Cohen also imposes some limitations, however; by Jewish religious law a Cohen may not marry a divorced woman (only a single woman or a widow) and may not marry someone who converted to Judaism.

An effort to trace whether or not people named "Cohen" actually have a common genetic origin has been undertaken in the specific DNA signature associated with the name known as the Cohen Modal Haplotype.

Cohen may refer to:

People

Cohen, the surname of many people:

Scientists

Albert K. Cohen (1918), an American sociologist
Bernard Cohen, Professor Emeritus of Physics at the University of Pittsburgh
Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, a French physicist working at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris, Nobel Prize Laureate in physics.
David B. Cohen (1941-2004), an American psychology professor
Emil Cohen (1842-1905), a German mineralogist (see also cohenite)
Ernst Julius Cohen (1869-1944), a Dutch chemist
Henri Cohen (1932), a French mathematician who specializes in number theory.
Irvin S. Cohen, a mathematician
Jack Cohen, British biologist and special effects consultant
Julius Berend Cohen (1859-1935), an English chemist
Leon Cohen, mathematician and developer of Cohen's class distribution function‎
Marvin L. Cohen, a Canadian-born American condensed-matter physicist at the University of California, Berkeley
Paul Joseph Cohen, (1934-2007), an American mathematician who proved the independence of the continuum hypothesis
Samuel Cohen, a physicist who is known for inventing the W70 warhead, the "enhanced neutron weapon" or neutron bomb
Simon Baron-Cohen, a renowned British psychologist and director of the Autism Research Centre at the University of Cambridge
Stanley Cohen (born 1922), American Nobel Prize Laureate in Physiology and Medicine
Stanley Norman Cohen (fl. 2000s), an American geneticist
Yoseph Bar-Cohen, a physicist at the JPL who specializes in electroactive materials and ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation (NDE)
Henry Cohen, Baron Cohen of Birkenhead British physician and lecturer, former president of the GMC and the Royal Society of Medicine. The Lord Cohen Medal for Gerontology is named after him.

Educators

Andrew Cohen, (1955-) an American guru, spiritual teacher, founder of the magazine What Is Enlightenment?, author, and musician
Benjamin Cohen, an American Professor
I. Bernard Cohen, former professor of the history of science at Harvard University
Brad Cohen, a motivational speaker and an award-winning teacher and author
Damian Cohen, the former head of boarding and currently teaching at Woodside Priory School
Eliot A. Cohen, a Professor of Strategic Studies at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University, and currently serving as Counselor to the U.S. State Department
Gerald Cohen, the Chichele Professor of Social and Political Theory, All Souls College, Oxford
Joanna Waley-Cohen, Professor of History at New York University, where she has taught since 1992
Morris Cohen, (1911-2005) an emeritus Institute Professor of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Rabbi Henry Cohen - leader of the Galveston kehilla
Reuben Cohen, a Canadian businessman, lawyer, and the third Chancellor of Dalhousie University
Richard Cohen, a lecturer on conversion therapy
Richard I. Cohen, a professor of Jewish History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Stanley Cohen (born c. 1940s), the Martin White Professor of Sociology at the London School of Economics
Stephen F. Cohen, a scholar of Russian studies in the USA
William W. Cohen, a professor at the Machine Learning Department of Carnegie Mellon University
Matthew Cohen, an English teacher at Knox Grammar School

Writers

Abraham Cohen de Herrera, a Spanish born philosopher, kabbalist, and professor. Works written in 17th century Amsterdam.
Albert Cohen, a Greek-born Jewish Swiss novelist who wrote in French
Allen Cohen, editor of the San Francisco Oracle.
Claudia Cohen, an American gossip columnist, socialite and television maven
Elie Aron Cohen (1909-1993), doctor, Auschwitz survivor, and author
Georg Morris Cohen Brandes, a Danish critic and scholar who had great influence on Scandinavian literature from the 1870s through the turn of the 20th century
Hermann Cohen, a German philosopher, one of the founders of the Marburg School of Neo-Kantianism
Matt Cohen (1942-1999, known by the pseudonym Teddy Jam), a Canadian writer
Nick Cohen, a British journalist, author, and political commentator
Randy Cohen, an American writer and humorist best known as the author of The Ethicist column in The New York Times Magazine
Octavus Roy Cohen (1891-1959), writer and author
Richard Cohen, syndicated columnist for the Washington Post
Richard E. Cohen, the congressional correspondent for a political magazine in the United States
Robert Cohen, a Canadian comedy writer

Musicians

Allen Cohen, an American composer
Avishai Cohen, an Israeli jazz bassist, composer and arranger
Ellen Naomi Cohen, an American singer known as "Mama" Cass
Harriet Cohen, a British pianist
Jim Cohen, an American pedal steel guitarist
Judy Kay Cohen, (1952-), an American singer known as Juice Newton
Leonard Cohen, Canadian singer-songwriter, also best-selling author of Beautiful Losers and other novels
Marc Cohn, American singer-songwriter
Paul Cohen, American saxophonist
Samuel Cohen, composer of Hatikvah
Sander Cohen, a fictional musician in the video game BioShock
Shavit Cohen, guitar player in Dublin
Stuart David Cohen (1941-1982), an American singer-songwriter known as David Blue
Yaron Cohen (now Sharon Cohen), Israeli singer known as Dana International
Franklin Cohen, Principal Clarinetist of the Cleveland Orchestra as of February 2008

Artists

Boris Cohen, Russian painter
Jonah Cohen, an acclaimed graphic designer
Ryosuke Cohen, an internationally known mail artist (whose surname is a stylistic spelling of Japanese Kōen and does not derive from the Hebrew name)
Leon Cohen - painted from Belgrade
Lynne Cohen, a professional fine art photographer
Gil Cohen, a local Irish artist

Technologists

Bram Cohen, an American computer programmer, best known as the author of the peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing program and protocol BitTorrent

Entertainment industry people

Arthur Cohn, Swiss film producer
Assi Cohen, an Israeli comedian and actor
Bradford Cohen, a candidate on The Apprentice 2 television show
Bruce Cohen, a film producer
David X. Cohen, a writer and producer for television
Emil Cohen (1911-2000), Jewish comedian and singer, in the tradition of Myron Cohen
Emma Cohen, a Spanish actress whose real name is Emmanuela Beltran Rahola
Herman Cohen, a producer of B-movies during the 1950s, who helped to popularize the teen horror movie genre
Ira Cohen, filmmaker, poet and photographer
Jem Cohen, a filmmaker known for his blending of media formats and collaborations with music artists
Jeff Cohen, his claim to fame is appearing as Chunk in the 1985 classic Steven Spielberg production The Goonies
Joel H. Cohen, a writer for The Simpsons
Myron Cohen (1902-1986), an American comedian and raconteur
Rob Cohen, an American film director, producer and writer
Sacha Baron Cohen, English comedian famous for the personae of Ali G, Borat, and Bruno
Sidney M. Cohen, a Canadian television director and program creator
The Coen Brothers, filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen
Rodney Dangerfield was born Jacob Cohen
Sid James, actor, was born Joel Solomon Cohen

Sports and Athletics

Alan N. Cohen, the former co-owner of the Boston Celtics and the New Jersey Nets
Andrew Cohen, Maltese international footballer
Avi Cohen, a former Israeli footballer who was the first to play in England
Ben Cohen, a rugby union footballer who plays wing for Northampton Saints and England
Chris Cohen, an English footballer currently playing for Nottingham Forest.
Eli Cohen, an Israeli football manager
Gary Cohen, an American sportscaster, best known as a radio and television play-by-play announcer for the New York Mets
Gary Cohen, a professional football player who joined Grimsby Town on a season-long loan deal from Scottish Second Division side Gretna
George Cohen, the right back for England on the side which won the 1966 World Cup
Harlan Cohen, an American volleyball coach
Howard William Cohen (1918-1995), an American sportscaster known as Howard Cosell
Jeff Cohen, an All-American college basketball player at William & Mary in 1960-61
Liran Cohen, an Israeli footballer
Ohad Cohen, an Israeli footballer
Sasha Cohen, American figure skater
Tamir Cohen, an Israeli footballer
Tiffany Cohen, double gold champion in swimming at the 1984 Summer Olympics
Zion Cohen, an Israeli footballer

Spies

Eli Cohen, a celebrated Israeli spy who is recognized as one of the most successful spies of modern times
Lona Cohen, an American member of the Communist Party USA who was recruited into Soviet espionage in 1939 by her husband
Morris Cohen (1910-1995, also known as Peter Kroger), was a Soviet spy who helped pass Manhattan Project secrets to the USSR

Politicians

Andrew Cohen, former Governor of Uganda
Daniel Cohn-Bendit, a European politician who was a leader of the student protesters during the May 1968 riots in France
David Cohen, an American politician, noted for his service in the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt
David B. Cohen, an American politician, mayor of Newton, Massachusetts
Erminie Cohen, a retired Canadian senator
Harry Cohen, a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom
Jay M. Cohen, Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Science and Technology, USA
Job Cohen, the mayor of Amsterdam
Leon Cohen, a Serbian activist; current adviser of President of Serbia and one of the chief negotiators of Serbia in the Kosovo dispute
Pierre Cohen, French polician, Mayor of Toulouse
Ran Cohen, an Israeli politician and Knesset member of the Meretz-Yachad party
Shaughnessy Cohen, a Canadian politician, who represented the riding of Windsor—St. Clair for the Liberal Party from 1993 to 1998
Stanley Cohen (1927-2004), a British Labour politician
Steve Cohen, a member of the United States House of Representatives for Tennessee's Ninth District
William Cohen, an author and American politician from the U.S. state of Maine

Businesspeople

Albert D. Cohen, a Canadian businessman who is the Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Gendis Incorporated
Ben Cohen, a co-founder of Ben & Jerry's ice cream
Benjamin Cohen, a British internet entrepreneur and journalist
Ben Cohen, one-time owner of Baltimore's WJZ-TV
Evan Montvel Cohen, a co-founder and the first chairman of Air America Radio
Henry Cohen, the director of Föhrenwald, the third largest Displaced Persons camp in the American sector of post-WWII Germany
Jack Cohen (1898-1979), British businessman
Jay Cohen, the former CEO of World Sports Exchange (WSEX), an online gambling company
Joshua Lionel Cowen b. Joshua Lionel Cohen, toy train magnate
Lyor Cohen, CEO of Warner Music Group
Stephen M. Cohen, owner of the Internet domain name Sex.com
Steven A. Cohen, a billionaire hedge fund investor and founder of SAC Capital Partners
Arie Cohen, CEO of CardioNet, best performing IPO in 2008 YTD

Lawyers

Arthur Cohen, an English barrister and king's counsel
Felix S. Cohen (1907-1953), a lawyer and legal scholar who developed an expertise in law concerning natural resources, statehood and economic development for American territories, Indian affairs, and immigration and minority problems
Roy Cohn, an American lawyer who came to prominence during the investigations by Senator Joseph McCarthy into alleged Communism in the U.S. government
Jerome A. Cohen, a professor of law at New York University School of Law and an expert in Chinese law
Jonathan Cohen, QC, Deputy High Court Judge (Family Division), old Etonian, grandson of Lionel Leonard Cohen
Lionel Leonard Cohen, Law Lord, one of "the three wise men"
Todd Cohen, an active criminal defense attorney in Dundee, Illinois

Fictional people

Aina Cohen, a fictional character, xueta, Majorcan converse Jew woman, and poet, of "Mort de dama” (The death of a lady) 1931, novel of Llorenç Villalonga.
Brian Cohen, the main character in Monty Python's "Life of Brian", son of "Naughtius Maximus"
Cohen the Barbarian, a fictional character in Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels
Jenna Cohen, a fictional character in the Aliens universe.
Kirsten Cohen, a fictional character on the FOX television series The OC
Mark Cohen, a fictional character in the play Rent.
Maximillian Cohen, a fictional character in Pi (film).
Sandy Cohen, a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C.
Seth Cohen, a fictional character on FOX television series The O.C.
Sander Cohen, a fictional character from the video game BioShock

People needing to be sorted

Henry Cohen
J. M. Cohen, a prolific translator (into English) of European literature
Jeff Cohen (media critic), the founder of Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting, a media watchdog group in the US
John Cohen, a founding member of the New Lost City Ramblers as well as a photographer and filmmaker
Kalman J. Cohen, an American economist
Liepmann Cohen (c. 1630-1714, also known as Leffmann Behrends), was the German financial agent of the dukes and princes of Hanover
Mickey Cohen, a gangster in 1940s and 1950s
Morris Cohen (adventurer), (1887-1970, also known as "Two-Gun"), a British-born adventurer who became a bodyguard for Sun Yat-sen
Morris Raphael Cohen, (1880-1947), an American Jewish philosopher who united pragmatism with logical positivism and linguistic analysis
Richard Cohen, husband of Paula Zahn
Stav Cohen, game designer in Dublin