E. De Felice describes this surname as a Jewish surname widely spread in central and northern Italy. He notes that it derives from the Hebrew kohen, which means "priest", and that originally it designated an office and a religious caste. He also indicates that there is an Italian variant of that same meaning: Sacerdoti.

E. Rossoni broadens the picture with the different spellings of the surname and their geographical distribution. The form Coen presents areas of concentration in the Milan area, in the Ancona area and in Rome. The form Cohen appears also in the Milan area and in Rome, in addition to the Brindisi area. The variant Coin is of clearly Venetian rooting, while Cuin is practically exceptional. Rossoni confirms the Jewish origin of all these forms and their reference to belonging to a family of priests, kohen in Hebrew being the term that designates the officiating priest.