About ten years ago, on a Jewish parenting board I frequented, a non-Jewish woman stopped by to ask a question. Surprised to find out that the baby name she had picked had a Jewish connotation, she hoped to learn more about Cohen. I explained to her that Cohen has an illustrious past. A cohen is a member of the priestly class, descended from Aaron. Even today there is a certain amount of prestige associated with it in religious circles. Cohen remains among the most common Jewish last names among Jews whether of European and North African descent. I told the mother-to-be it's likely her son might need to explain that he's not Jewish, and that some Jews might find the name offensive. The … [Read more...]