We’d love to hear the winning name! Congrats 
While we’ve got the subject open (even though I realize you went with another name, I hope it’s OK if I tack a question on)… what I can’t seem to find out is: do religious Jews find it offensive if the name is given to a Jew by nationality, but of different faith? This is a top name on our list, and I like it very much BECAUSE it is a Jewish name that means priest. I am not a practicing Jew, but I am Jewish by nationality and my family has a very long rabbinic history and of the tribe of [name]Levi[/name] and I would love to honor that heritage. Not that the average Jew I meet would know that since we have a british last name and have blonde children. Sigh. Maybe [name]Coen[/name] is good enough. :?
Why not go with [name]Levi[/name]?
I had some friends with this name on their list (didn’t happen), but it was in honor of [name]Leonard[/name] [name]Cohen[/name]. I wonder if others use the name not having any idea that it is anything other than a surname? Now that I know, I would warn someone not to use the name if they told me they were considering it, though.
@janel47
I could be wrong, but I do not believe a devout Jew would use the name [name]Cohen[/name] or [name]Coen[/name] either, and may also find it offensive if used by one of Jewish nationalitly. It might be more offensive since you would assume a Jew knows the meaning behind the name and didn’t choose it out of ignorance. Again, I might be wrong, but I think it is a surname ONLY, and therefore part of the legacy of the name is that it is not given to a child as a first name out of respect.
I’m no expert though, maybe ask miloowen who posted earlier.
Thanks for the replies! Yeah, you’re probably right. It’s probably best just to avoid it. Although do you really think [name]Coen[/name] or Cowan would be bad? [name]Coen[/name] is short for [name]Conrad[/name], and this was my first association with the name. DH strongly prefers [name]Rowan[/name] anyhow. He liked the Cohan = priest idea, but I don’t think he’d like the other spellings as much.
I think [name]Coen[/name] is just as bad as [name]Cohen[/name] since they’re pretty much recognized as the name surname with a spelling difference, and I don’t think being partially ethnically Jewish will make it less offensive. Actually it would probably make it more offensive. I think Cohan (my preferred spelling), Cowan or Cowen would be ok, though I like [name]Rowan[/name] best of all.
please don’t name your son cohen. it’s like naming your kid smith. but of course it isn’t. sorry to be so brutal, but jews will think you’re inconsiderate and ignorant. sorry. maybe name your second kid levin? how about kaganovich? greenbaum is sooooo trendy!
This thread is over two years old. [name_m]Will[/name_m] a mod please close it?
I really don’t get how it’s offensive at all. I’ve taught several [name_m]Jesus[/name_m]'s who weren’t religious or christian and no one seemed offended.