Thoughts on Cohen?

[fluentinsarcasm]

Really grown on me, what do you think?

Even if you don't mind the offence caused, imagine your poor lad walking into job interviews or social situations or professional situations and inadvertently causing offence.

Not a great start to parenting.

Yes very strange to use if you're not actually a cohen. A bit like calling your child Priest I guess.

'Koen' is pronounced closer to 'Coon' (rough English approximation), but with more of an oooh! sound. But I suppose you could say it however you want to, if you're not in Holland nobody would know! It's a name in its own right, it doesn't have to be short for anything. Also common with a C ie Coen.

I'll stop now!

Ok then, for the sake of argument, is Coen acceptable?

No.

Yes, it's a normal Dutch name and you're welcome to mispronounce it slightly

Why why would you do that to your child?

I've grown up with a hideous name that I wished I'd changed but because I was named after a grandparent would have caused much upset. I'm in my 50's & still hate it. I just don't understand why parents would make life so difficult for their child for the sake of a 'cool name' when it's not even cool!

... Unless you plan to go around saying "no, it's Coen, without an h. No, not the Jewish Coen, it's the Irish one - no, we're not Jewish or Irish...

Colin
Corin
Kai
Conrad
Conan
Colm....

You could try
Conan
Conroy
Conrad
Conwyn
Corey

I know a Cohen with no Jewish connections at all and I hadn't actually made the connection! I love the name but he was a bit of a twat so will always have that association in my head. Guess it depends where you live - central London it may stand out to some, rural Yorkshire then maybe not so much.

Been waiting for this for a few years:

Ahem

OP have my first ever

I have an very Irish surname so Coen really suits it.

I love it! But I'd spell it with a K.

Another Jew pitching in here. I'd find it really baffling. Like a Catholic person calling their baby Mohammed. Male members of the Cohen tribe were given special status in biblical times and were priests. To this day a member of the Cohen tribe is not allowed to be in same room as or walk in a graveyard as they can't be in the presence of the dead. It's not a name I've heard being given to a Jewish boy let alone a non-Jewish one.

nocureforlove me too(non practising though) . And I tend to agree with you.

It is such a cultural thing.

Everything from running jokes about if you dont know someone jewish surname is probally cohen etc etc

But also the whole cohen gene thing the aaron chromosone that nearly everyome with surname cohen can be traced back to one man.

But also it is a title. Imo should be earned or inherrited.

But this is all just my opinion.

Yes, it's Jewish, but no Jewish parents would ever use it as a first name for a child, as it's a (hereditary) title, not a given name!

Like other posters I would probably be a bit taken aback and not think too highly of parents choosing this as a baby name.

Coen is a much better choice, as it is an actual first name, albeit not very common in the UK .

It's nice. A Facebook friend has a 10 month old Cohen. I like it

Well it looks like it will become more popular in the near future (shot up the charts)
Boys will be named it because parents like it and are oblivious to the religous meaning, this does not make them morons.

There's a Cohen in DD's school (we are not in an especially Jewish area). I have to admit I saw it as a surname-first name, and I knew it was a 'Jewish' surname but I didn't know anything more about it, I bracketed it with Hunter and Jackson. I find this a tricky one - obviously if you know the background then it's a no-no, but then should everyone deciding to use a surname as a first name be expected to research it? Is that reasonable or realistic? Ideally, yes, of course.

RiverTam

Yes, it's both, if you have any intelligence or sensitivity

I know two Coens... I didn't know there was any issue. We're in NI though. I assumed it was Irish? If it's Irish with that spelling then is it OK to use? I like it

Coen =/= Cohen

I know a Cohen named after Leonard Cohen. Quite like it myself. Had no idea about the Jewish connection and I don't even think the parents have realised.

I met a child called Reverand. So some people do give their kids names like that!

I like it as a name, not sure if I would use it though...

Well, if you want to be like "those people" then carry on...