About my name: Kohan

My parents came up with the name Kohan in a search for something unique. My family has a history of unique names.

One of my family's friends used to publish work under a pen name, and from that pen name my parents chose the name Kohan. Occasionally people think that my own name (Kohan Ikin) is a pen name or pseudonym. It isn't.

Nationality of the name Kohan

I don't know the original nationality of the name Kohan. Sources have suggested that it is Jewish, Scandinavian and/or Polish. Some people believe it is derived from the name Kohannes and comes from the Vikings, but I've found no evidence of this. As for my own nationality, I was born in Australia to Australian parents, but my lineage traces back to England, Scotland, Ireland, America and Czechoslovakia.

Meaning of the name Kohan

There are a lot of references to Kohan as a Jewish term. Apparently a Kohan is "a descendent of the priestly Tribes, a direct descendent of Aaron". The Kohan were the priests who enacted rituals in the Temples of Jerusalem. To my knowledge I am not a descendent, however.

In Polish, there are two words similar to Kohan - Kohany means "my beloved", and Kohanek means "my lover" (the words are sometimes spelt with a c). So I suppose you can infer that Kohan means "lover" or "loved", or maybe just "love". Awwww, how sappy.

Kohan is also a word in the Persian language Farsi, meaning "ancient". That definition inspired the video game Kohan: Immortal Sovereigns released in 2001. In the game, the Kohan are a race of immortal kings, hence the title. I have a copy of the game but haven't played it much. There were also two sequels to the game.

While not identical to my name, Koan is a buddhist term for "a story or verse that presents basic lessons about life and the nature of the self". Also, there was a Zen Buddhist teacher named Kohan Kokan who lived 1776-1843.

An anonymous writer has suggested that Kohan means "ruler" in Mandarin. Apparently the name of Genghis Khan in Mandarin is "Tian Ko Han", which means "universal ruler". I haven't found evidence to support this theory, however.

Pronunciation of the name Kohan

I prefer to pronounce my name as kōhwěn, using the American Heritage Dictionary Pronunciation Key. It's more like Cohwhen than Ko-hahn. But I don't mind too much if you pronounce it incorrectly. If people have trouble pronouncing my name, I sometimes suggest they call me Colin, which sounds very similar.

Famous Kohans

Kohan Kokan was a Zen Buddhist teacher who lived 1776-1843.

David Kohan, was the co-creator of the television show Will & Grace.

His sister, Jenji Kohan, is the creator of the hit TV show Weeds, and has also written for Sex & The City and Will & Grace.

Trivia about the name Kohan

Kohan is more common as a surname. Sometimes I'm contacted by people named Kohan, and for a while I corresponded with Mauricio Kohan who lives in Santiago.

The Kabalarians have an in-depth analysis of the type of character the name Kohan lends itself to. The similarity between myself and the description provided is uncanny.

Contrary to what some may think, I was not named after the doctor who delivered me, Dr Harry Cohen. The similarity in names is entirely coincedental.

I have heard just about every Kohan the Barbarian or Kohan the Librarian joke you care to think of. I'm not as muscular as Arnold Schwarzenegger - get over it! But I have joined a gym and I do have a personal trainer....

Koan is also the name of a computer program that generates ambient electronic music. It is a favourite program of Brian Eno, the producer of U2. I have played with the program a little, but I only ever wrote one instrumental composition using the program and I have subsequently lost the recordings I made.

Pakistan Handbook by Dave Winter says that Kohan is a small town in Pakistan "consisting only of a few houses and a check post". You'll find it on the RCD Highway, south from Khuzdar, apparently.

The Baby Name Countdown 5th Edition: The Definitive Baby Name Book by Janet Schwegel includes the name Kohan on page 387 under the heading "Popular and Unusual Names". I'm quite sure Kohan comes under the unusual category.

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