Kempe Surname

39,632nd
Most Common
surname in the World

Approximately 13,244 people bear this surname

Most prevalent in:
Germany
Highest density in:
Bermuda

Kempe Surname Definition:

This surname is derived from an occupation or offical title. 'the kemp,' a knight, a soldier, a champion.

'Then it is time for mee to speake, Of Kern Knightes and Kempes greate.': Guy and Colbrand.

'Here is Kempis full Kene to the Kyng for to care': York Mystery Plays.

Read More About This Surname

Kempe Surname Distribution Map

PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
Germany8,3181:9,6781,214
Sweden1,2151:8,104746
United States1,1881:305,10028,071
Netherlands6291:26,8484,378
Australia3421:78,9359,205
Brazil2481:863,20331,144
England2231:249,85720,242
Canada1941:189,92618,713
DR Congo1571:470,57138,110
Finland951:57,8606,767
Bermuda871:750114
South Africa831:652,74348,091
India561:13,697,596234,369
Poland431:883,92467,072
Cameroon331:629,36647,277
Argentina301:1,424,78080,162
Botswana281:78,10513,263
France271:2,460,101186,232
Belgium231:499,85448,667
Nigeria231:7,701,859170,290
Switzerland211:391,09129,271
Latvia211:97,62113,922
Denmark181:313,59522,770
Austria181:473,08046,251
Norway141:367,30634,015
Indonesia131:10,173,015372,576
Scotland121:446,15118,166
Czechia101:1,063,34780,937
Ukraine91:5,058,077228,455
Russia91:16,013,673414,297
Azerbaijan81:1,206,14016,795
Thailand71:10,091,192512,203
Qatar61:393,00055,922
Spain41:11,688,009116,470
Philippines31:33,746,074302,898
Chile31:5,872,15852,204
China21:683,660,78330,601
New Zealand21:2,264,16249,210
Wales21:1,547,26639,871
Malaysia21:14,747,112316,340
Ireland11:4,708,93929,543
Morocco11:34,476,099111,471
Israel11:8,557,634182,558
Venezuela11:30,204,07785,459
Italy11:61,156,688199,583
Kazakhstan11:17,682,496204,010
Hungary11:9,816,27773,288
Georgia11:3,745,54547,852
Cyprus11:884,87613,055
South Korea11:51,240,2568,015
Greece11:11,079,790145,225
Singapore11:5,507,70347,049
Mexico11:124,126,205103,776
Colombia11:47,774,07244,230
Portugal11:10,418,24125,048
Paraguay11:7,236,74616,511
East Timor11:1,215,928507
Honduras11:8,816,4429,272
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
England2171:112,32910,956
Wales41:392,10412,338
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States2271:221,22818,802

The alternate forms: Kempé (3), Kempė (3) & Ķempe (2) are calculated separately.

Kempe (433) may also be a first name.

Kempe Surname Meaning

From Where Does The Surname Originate? meaning and history

This surname is derived from an occupation or offical title. 'the kemp,' a knight, a soldier, a champion.

'Then it is time for mee to speake, Of Kern Knightes and Kempes greate.': Guy and Colbrand.

'Here is Kempis full Kene to the Kyng for to care': York Mystery Plays.

Alan Kempe, Suffolk, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

William Kemp, Oxfordshire. ibid.

Ricardus Kempe, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

Johannes Kempe, 1379: ibid.

1775. Married — John Dixon and Ann Kempe: St. George, Hanover Square.

A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (1896) by Charles Wareing Endell Bardsley

This surname is usually explained as from ON. kempa, Old English cempa, ME. kempe, 'warrior, champion.' William Kemp, burgess of Edinburgh, 1423 (Egidii, p. 45). Donald Kemp, burgess of Dingwall, 1563 (RMS. IV, 1455), and William Kemp in Dingwall, 1613, a Macgregor resetter (RPC., XIV, p. 648). See Kempt.

The Surnames of Scotland (1946) by George Fraser Black (1866-1948)

(Teutonic-Latin) Soldier, Warrior, Champion [Middle Englishkemp(e, Old Englishcempa and Old Norse kempa] æþele cempa | the noble warrior.—Beówulf, 2629.

They had not ridden scant a myle, A myle forthe of the towne, But in did come the kyng of Spayne With kempes many a one.—‘Kyng Estmere,’ 103-6: Percy’s Reliques.

Alan Kempe.—Hund. Rolls, A.D. 1274.

John Kempe.—Minis. Accts., Lancs, A.D. 1314.

(French-Latin) variant of Camp, q.v.

Surnames of the United Kingdom (1912) by Henry Harrison

Jamieson's definition is-"1. A champion. Douglas. 2. Sometimes it includes the idea of strength and uncommon size. Bannatyne Poems. 3. The champion of a party in controversy. Winyet.-Anglo-Saxon cempa, miles; Suedo-Gothic kaempe, athleta; Danish, kempe, a giant; Islandic, miles robustus." In Scotland, the verb to kemp means to strive in whatever way, especially in the harvest-field; a kemper is a reaper who tries to outdo another in the amount of his labour; and such a contest is known as a kempin. In the Anglo-Saxon translation of the Gospels made about the year 1000, the word which in the Vulgate is miles, and in our version "soldier," is rendered cempa. Kempes, kemperye-men are words employed for fighting men, in the ballad of King Estmere in Percy's Reliques. Hence it appears that Kemp and Campion are closely allied, if not identical.

Patronymica Britannica (1860) by Mark Antony Lower

A soldier.

The Origin and Signification of Scottish Surnames (1862) by Clifford Stanley Sims (1839-1896)

In old English, a soldier, one who engaged in single combat. The name Kemp is derived from the Saxon word to kemp, or combat, which in Norfolk is retained to this day; a foot—ball match being called a camping or kemping; and thus in Saxon a Kemper signifies a combatant, a champion, a man—at—arms. In some parts of Scotland the striving of reapers in the harvest—field is still called kemping.

An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names (1857) by William Arthur

(English), Soldier, Warrior, Champion. (variant: Camminga.)

Surnames (1857) by Bernard Homer Dixon

Kemp is a name for the most part confined to the eastern coast counties of England, especially those of Lincoln, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Kent, and Sussex. It was well represented as Kempe in the same part of England, particularly in Norfolk and Suffolk, in the 13th century (H. R.). It has secondary and less important homes in the south - western counties and in Cheshire.

Homes of Family Names in Great Britain (1890) by Henry Brougham Guppy

Kempe Last Name Facts

Where Does The Last Name Kempe Come From? nationality or country of origin

The surname Kempe (Hindi: कैंपे, Marathi: कपे, Russian: Кемпе) is carried by more people in Germany than any other country/territory. It may be found in the variant forms: Kempé, Kempė or Ķempe. Click here to see other potential spellings of Kempe.

How Common Is The Last Name Kempe? popularity and diffusion

It is the 39,632nd most commonly used surname on earth, borne by around 1 in 550,253 people. The surname occurs mostly in Europe, where 81 percent of Kempe reside; 68 percent reside in Western Europe and 68 percent reside in Germanic Europe. It is also the 412,254th most frequent first name globally, held by 433 people.

The surname is most widespread in Germany, where it is borne by 8,318 people, or 1 in 9,678. In Germany Kempe is most numerous in: Saxony, where 32 percent live, Lower Saxony, where 13 percent live and North Rhine-Westphalia, where 11 percent live. Outside of Germany Kempe exists in 57 countries. It is also found in Sweden, where 9 percent live and The United States, where 9 percent live.

Kempe Family Population Trend historical fluctuation

The prevalency of Kempe has changed over time. In The United States the number of people bearing the Kempe last name expanded 523 percent between 1880 and 2014; in England it expanded 103 percent between 1881 and 2014 and in Wales it declined 50 percent between 1881 and 2014.

Kempe Last Name Statistics demography

In The United States those bearing the Kempe surname are 18.86% more likely to be registered Republicans than the national average, with 65.63% registered with the political party.

The amount Kempe earn in different countries varies markedly. In Norway they earn 26.84% less than the national average, earning 253,193 kr per year; in South Africa they earn 2.48% less than the national average, earning R 231,756 per year; in United States they earn 13.77% more than the national average, earning $49,090 USD per year and in Canada they earn 9.61% more than the national average, earning $54,457 CAD per year.

Phonetically Similar Names

SurnameSimilarityWorldwide IncidencePrevalency
Kempé933/
Kempė933/
Ķempe932/
Kaempe91213/
Kempfe91132/
Kemppe91108/
Kempeh9171/
Kempey9138/
Kempie9114/
Kemphe915/
Kempee912/
Khempe912/
Kemmpe911/
Kempeu911/
Kenmpe911/
Kgempe911/
Kempei911/
Kemp89130,784/
Kaempfe83369/
Kempeth8339/
Kemphet8326/
Kempech8316/
Kemmper832/
Kesempe832/
Kemppes832/
Kaempee831/
Kempeah831/
Kehmpeh831/
Kempehe831/
Khaempe831/
Kitempe831/
Gkempes831/
Kempeht831/
Khemped831/
Khempey831/
Khemphe831/
Kempf8033,707/
Kempa8011,519/
Kampe806,263/
Kimpe802,730/
Kämpe80863/
Kompe80791/
Kempi80525/
Kemph80523/
Kæmpe80207/
Kenpe8065/
Kempp8062/
Cempe8052/
Keimp8035/
Kömpe8030/
Kmper8024/
Kempy8020/
Keemp8013/
Kempz8012/
Koemp805/
Kaemp802/
Kiemp801/
Hkemp801/
Keamp800/
Keump800/
Khempech7719/
Kempeová777/
Keempfer773/
Khemphed772/
Khempett772/
Khemphey771/
Keampher770/
Kmp7531/
Kemppi731,307/
Kämpfe731,300/
Kaempf731,033/
Kümper73618/
Kampeu73393/
Kampfe73276/
Khampe73116/
Chempe73109/
Kampei73109/
Kempha7398/
Kampie7395/
Kimpey7383/
Kjæmpe7381/
Kampee7349/
Kempoi7344/
Keampi7342/
Kuimpe7342/
Kompie7340/
Kampey7339/
Kiempa7339/
Kompfe7330/
Kenpeh7324/
Kempfi7320/
Kompeh7315/
Kemppa7314/
Kmpfer737/
Kamppe736/
Kamphe735/
Quempe735/
Kaenpe735/
Kymper735/
Kaampe734/
Kempay734/
Kempfs734/
Kenpej734/
Kampea733/
Khemph733/
Khompe733/
Kempio733/
Kaemph732/
Keampf732/
Kenmpf732/
Kompee732/
Kimpee732/
Koempf732/
Kiempf732/
Kempai732/
Kimpie732/
Kempii731/
Kemppf731/
Kemppt731/
Kempth731/
Keemmp731/
Kampeh731/
Kompea731/
Kenmpi731/
Kimpei731/
Keampa731/
Kkampe731/
Kimphe731/
Kæmper731/
Kenpes731/
Kenpet731/
Kempih731/
Kempss731/
Keemps731/
Keamph730/
Kempft730/
Khemphech715/
Kemphetch715/
Khempeach714/
Kheampech711/
Kheamphet711/
Kebe6796,041/
Kämpfer673,468/
Kemb67355/
Kimp67333/
Quemper67210/
Kempová67103/
Kömp6743/
Khampee6741/
Kamphey6719/
Kenp6718/
Chemppe6711/
Keanpet6710/
Kümp678/
Cemp677/
Kenpper676/
Keinpeh676/
Khemphetch676/
Ketemps675/
Koempai675/
Khampei674/
Kenpfer674/
Kisempi674/
Kämp674/
Quempes674/
Kkmp674/
Khompee674/
Kempova672/
Kempfoa671/
Kempich671/
Kennper671/
Keemeph671/
Khempai671/
Kampfee671/
Kmpi671/
Kmpj671/
Kempist671/
Khimpee671/
Qmpe671/
Cmpe671/
Kamphee671/
Kaemppi671/
Knmp671/
Kjmp671/
Kenphet671/
Khenpet671/
Kimpfer671/

Kempe Name Transliterations

TransliterationICU LatinPercentage of Incidence
Kempe in the Hindi language
कैंपेkaimpe-
Kempe in the Marathi language
कपेkape90.91
केमपेkemape9.09
Kempe in the Russian language
Кемпеkempe-

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Footnotes

  • Surnames are taken as the first part of an person's inherited family name, caste, clan name or in some cases patronymic
  • Descriptions may contain details on the name's etymology, origin, ethnicity and history. They are largely reproduced from 3rd party sources; diligence is advised on accepting their validity - more information
  • Name distribution statistics are generated from a global database of over 4 billion people - more information
  • Heatmap: Dark red means there is a higher occurrence of the name, transitioning to light yellow signifies a progressively lower occurrence. Clicking on selected countries will show mapping at a regional level
  • Rank: Name are ranked by incidence using the ordinal ranking method; the name that occurs the most is assigned a rank of 1; name that occur less frequently receive an incremented rank; if two or more name occur the same number of times they are assigned the same rank and successive rank is incremented by the total preceeding names
  • Ethnic group cannot necessarily be determined by geographic occurrence
  • Similar: Names listed in the "Similar" section are phonetically similar and may not have any relation to Kempe
  • To find out more about this surname's family history, lookup records on Family​Search, My​Heritage, FindMyPast and Ancestry. Further information may be obtained by DNA analysis