Show ContentsCohn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Cohn family

The surname Cohn was first found in Belgium, where the name became noted for its many branches in the region, each house acquiring a status and influence which was envied by the princes of the region. The name was first recorded in Liege, a province in Belgium, center of Walloon country. Within this province the notable towns are Liege, the capital city, seat of the great cathedral of St.Lambert destroyed in 1794. In their later history the surname became a power unto themselves and were elevated to the ranks of nobility as they grew into a most influential family.

Early History of the Cohn family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cohn research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1548, 1619, 1675, 1680 and 1682 are included under the topic Early Cohn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cohn Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Goene, Gosne, Goens, Gone, Gonel, Guene, Guenet, Guenot, Gueny, Gohn, Kohn and many more.

Early Notables of the Cohn family

Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cohn Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cohn Ranking

In the United States, the name Cohn is the 3,615th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 1


United States Cohn migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cohn Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Henry Cohn, who arrived in Charleston, South Carolina in 1831 2
  • Moretz Cohn, who arrived in New York, NY in 1840-1853 2
  • Joh Ludwig Cohn, aged 25, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1843 2
  • Moris Cohn, aged 29, who landed in Missouri in 1848 2
  • Joe Cohn, who landed in Texas in 1850-1906 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Cohn Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Marel Cohn, who arrived in Arkansas in 1906 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Cohn (post 1700) +

  • Gary David Cohn (b. 1960), American investment banker, 11th Director of the National Economic Council in 2017; he resigned from his position in March 2018
  • Lawrence Cohn (1932-2023), American lawyer, record company executive, and blues collector
  • Ronald Herbert Cohn (1943-2022), American zoologist and research collaborator of psychologist Francine Patterson in her work in training Koko the gorilla in the use of American sign language
  • Avern Levin Cohn (1924-2022), American Senior United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan (1999-2022)
  • Lawrence H. Cohn (1937-2016), American pioneering cardiac surgeon, researcher, and medical educator, awarded the first endowed Chair in Cardiac Surgery at Harvard Medical School
  • Linda Cohn (b. 1959), American sportscaster with ESPN
  • Harold W. Cohn (b. 1913), American Democratic Party politician, Member of New York State Assembly, 1959-68 3
  • Edward I. Cohn, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Minnesota, 1928 3
  • Bernard Cohn (1835-1889), American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Los Angeles, California, 1878 3
  • Avern Cohn, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Delegate to Michigan State Constitutional Convention from Oakland County 5th District, 1961; Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Michigan, 1964, 1968 3
  • ... (Another 25 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 15) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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