Given name & surname

Kahn

“a priest”

Kahn is used as a given name and a surname. One Hebrew interpretation is “a priest.”

Meaning & origin

What it means

One Hebrew interpretation is “a priest.”

Where it comes from

An origin associated with this spelling is Hebrew.

How it developed

In English usage, Kahn as a surname is a short form of Kahnert.

The story

Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1963. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.

From dated birth records

Kahn through the years

Babies since 1880
41
41 boys · 0 girls
Most popular year
1976
7 babies
2025
0
Outside the ranked list
2021–25 vs 2016–20
—
Too few births to compare
0246198020002025Highest share 19760.0
Kahn in U.S. Social Security birth records, 1963–2025, per million boys born. Years with fewer than five births for a sex are not published and appear as zero. Use the arrow keys to step through years.

By the numbers

The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 6 in 2023. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for boys was 7 in 1976. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 217 as a first name in 2020; 14,232 as a surname in 2020.

From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.

Kahn’s family of names

In English usage, Kahn as a surname is a short form of Kahnert. Kahn has a related form in Kan. Kahn has a related form in Khan.

Walk Kahn’s family in the name graph

KahnCohenKohenKonradKhanKanKahnnKahnert

The ring: nicknames and forms.

Hover or tab through the constellation to see how each name is related. Bigger dots are names more people in the U.S. share.

Around the world

Kahn has relatives in 3 languages. Lines run from its Hebrew roots to each of them.

EnglishGermanHebrew

4 related names in 3 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.

Each dot marks where a language is rooted, not where people with the name live today. Bigger dots hold more names. Language locations from Glottolog (CC BY 4.0); map from Natural Earth.

See also 1

Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.

Similar names

If you love Kahn, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.

Hebrew · Biblical

Dedan

“leading gently”

0Not recently recorded

>99% boys

Hebrew · Biblical

Rosh

“head” · “chief”

0Not recently recorded

>99% boys

Hebrew

Shaun

“God is gracious”

37RareCooling

98% boys · 2% girls

Hebrew

Jamin

“the right hand of favor”

28RareSteady

>99% boys

Hebrew · Modern

Shaphan

“coney” · “shy”

0Not recently recorded

>99% boys

Hebrew

Zebulon

“one who has been exalted”

22RareEasing

>99% boys

Hebrew · Biblical

Jeconiah

“Yah establishes” · “the Lord will establish”

0Not recently recorded

>99% boys

Spanish

Vidal

“life” · “a giver of life”

29RareSteady

>99% boys

Sibling ideas

Names that share Kahn’s feel without repeating its first letter or rhyming with it.

A brother for Kahn

A sister for Kahn