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.

KEMP. KEMPE. Jamieson's definition is — " 1. A champion. Dovglas. 2. Sometimes it includes the idea of strength and uncommon size. Bannatyne Poems. 3. The champion of a party in controversy. Winyct. — A-Sax. cevqm, miles ; SuedoGothic Itampc, athleta ; Danish, liempe, a giant; Islandic, miles robustus." In Scotland, tlie verlj to liemp means to strive in whatever way, especially in the harvestfield ; a liempcr is a reaper who tries to outdo another in the amount of his labour ; and such a contest is known as a licmpin. In the A- Sax. translation of the Gospels made about the year 1000, the word which in the Vulgate is miles, and in our version " soldier," is rendered ccmpa. Kempes, hemperye-men are words employed for fighting men, in the ballad of King Estmere in Percy's Eeliques. Hence it appears that Kemp and Campion are closely allied, if not identical.

Lower, Mark A (1860) Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom. London: J.R. Smith. Public Domain.