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KEMPE

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There are approximately 446 people named Kempe in the UK. That makes it the 10,980th most common surname overall. Out of every million people in the UK, approximately 7 are named Kempe.

Region of origin

British Isles

Country of origin

England

Language of origin

English

Religion of origin

Christian

Classification

English


Related and similar surnames

Campe
Kemp
Kempson
Kampe
Kamp
Kampa
Kaempfe
Kamps
Kampfe
Kaempf
Kampf
Kamppi
Caempe
Caemp
Ckemp
Caympe
Camppe
Campes
Keampe
Keamp
Kaempe
Kaemp
Kamppe
Kaempee
Kampes
Kaamp
Kampei
Kampee
Kampp
Kampea
Kaimp
Keampf

The Kempe surname in historical dictionaries

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.

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