Show ContentsKähn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Schleswig-Holstein, which is the northernmost state in western Germany, is the homeland of the proud surname Kähn. Schleswig, which was included in the empire of the Franks as the "Danemark," was a northern border protectorate against the Danish Vikings. The duchy of Holstein was settled by the German Saxons during the 6th century. The Danemark, however, was granted to the Danes by Emperor Conrad II (990-1039), and the remainder of Schleswig-Holstein's history has revolved around the political question of Danish or German control of this region. Following the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the two duchies were incorporated into Denmark. However, the Congress Of Vienna in 1815 granted the Holstein and Lauenburg to the German Confederation. In 1866, Schleswig-Holstein became a Prussian province and it became a part of the German Empire after the unification of 1871. After the First World War, a part of Northern Schleswig was restored to Denmark after the majority of the population had voted for reunion with Denmark.

Early Origins of the Kähn family

The surname Kähn was first found in Schleswig-Holstein, where the family contributed greatly to the development of an emerging nation and would later play a large role in the political conflicts of the area. The family branched into many houses, many of which acquired estates and manors throughout the surrounding regions, where they played significant roles in the social and political affairs. "Kahn" or "Kan" is a north German word meaning "skiff" or "barge."

Early History of the Kähn family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kähn research. Another 101 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1377, 1390, 1400, 1402, 1412 and 1840 are included under the topic Early Kähn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kähn Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Kahn, Kaehne, Kahne, Kan, Cahn, Caehne, Kaehn, Kehn, Kahns, Kahnes and many more.

Early Notables of the Kähn family

Notables of the time included Gün Temür (1377-1402), Mongol Khan of the Northern Yuan Dynasty in Mongolia, He ruled from 1400 to 1402, he was defeated by Gulichi (1402), who killed him as a result; Dilawar (Dilawar Khan Ghori), governor of the Malwa province of central India during the decline of the Delhi Sultanate, after serving at the court in Delhi, appointed governor at Dhar (1390-91), took the title of 'Amid Shah Da'ud; Orug Temur Khan (Gulichi), Mongol leader who temporarily enthroned himself Khan of the Mongols in the early 15th century, appeared in Mongolian history, leader of the Oirats, particularly...
Another 118 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kähn Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kähn Ranking

In the United States, the name Kähn is the 2,591st most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Kähn is ranked the 3,809th most popular surname with an estimated 1,500 - 2,000 people with that name. 2


United States Kähn migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Kähn Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Michael Kahn, who settled in Philadelphia in 1733
  • Johan Jacob Kahn, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1749 3
  • Johannes Kahn, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1751 3
  • Daniel Kahn, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1753
  • Valentine Kahn, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1765 3
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Kähn Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Johann Melchior Kahn, who landed in Brazil in 1825 3
  • Charles Kahn, who arrived in New York, NY in 1832 3
  • Karl Kahn, who arrived in North America in 1842 3
  • Salomon Kahn, who landed in North America in 1842 3
  • Mr. Emil. Kahn, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Neptune"
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Kähn Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Julius Kahn, who landed in Mississippi in 1904 3
  • Boris Kahn, who arrived in North Dakota in 1920 3
  • Rosa Kahn, who arrived in Alabama in 1920 3

Canada Kähn migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Kähn Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Thomas Kahn, aged 24, who landed in Fort Cumberland, Nova Scotia in 1775

Contemporary Notables of the name Kähn (post 1700) +

  • David Kahn (1930-2024), American historian, journalist, and writer
  • Wolf Kahn (1927-2020), German-born American painter
  • Robert Elliot "Bob" Kahn (b. 1938), Jewish American electrical engineer, co-inventor of the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and the Internet Protocol (IP), recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
  • Robert Kahn (1915-1998), birth name of Bob Kane, American comic book artist and writer, co-creator of the DC Comics superhero Batman, inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1996
  • Nikki Kahn, American co-winner of the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography
  • Michael Kahn, American actor and film editor
  • Lois Kahn (1901-1974), American (Estonian-born) architect, her designs include Yale University art gallery (1954)
  • Albert Kahn (1869-1942), German-born U.S. industrial architect, principal architect for most of the large American automobile companies
  • Claude Kahn (1935-2023), French classical pianist
  • Major-General Louis-Lazare Kahn (1895-1967), French Secretary-General of Supreme Armed Forces Council (1950-1958) 4
  • ... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bismarck
  • Heinz Kahn (1922-1941), German Matrose II who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 5


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  3. 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)
  4. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, October 5) Louis-Lazare Kahn. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Kahn/Louis-Lazare/France.html
  5. Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details


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