Kemp Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Kemp last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Kemp last name
Meaning of the Kemp last name: champion, warrior. Kemp is an English surname from a medieval word for a champion or warrior, a nickname for a strong man or for someone who had won a wrestling match or other contest. The last name is most common in Kent, Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk. A curious detail: the same old word survives in Danish and Swedish as kæmpe and kämpe, "giant" or "fighter".
Arms associated with the Kemp name
English heralds once toured the counties to check who used a coat of arms, and heraldry associated with the Kemp surname belongs to that long tradition.
Get your full Kemp family history
This is only a glimpse of the Kemp story. The full Kemp history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Kemp coat of arms. Get the full Kemp report.
Kemp name FAQ
What does the Kemp name mean?
Champion, warrior. Common variants include Kempe, Kempson.
Where does the Kemp surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Australia and Canada.
Is there a Kemp coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Kemp coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).