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KEMP

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There are approximately 34,596 people named Kemp in the UK. That makes it the 267th most common surname overall. Out of every million people in the UK, approximately 548 are named Kemp.

Region of origin

British Isles

Country of origin

England

Language of origin

English

Religion of origin

Christian

Classification

English
Nickname

Related and similar surnames

Camp
Kempe
Kempson
Kamp
Kampe
Kamps
Kampa
Kaempf
Kamppi
Kampf
Kaempfe
Keam
Kampfe
Caemp
Ckemp
Caempe
Keamp
Keampe
Kaemp
Kaempe
Keamps
Kampp
Kaimp
Kaamp
Keampf
Kamppe
Kaemps
Kampz
Kampo
Kampi
Kampu
Kaempee
Kaimpa

The Kemp surname in historical dictionaries

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.

Arthur, William (1857) An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. New York: Sheldon, Blakeman. Public Domain.

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