NameCensus.

UK surname

Kempe

A habitational name for someone from any of various places called Kemp or Kempe, derived from Old English "camp" meaning "battlefield" or "contest ground".

In the 1881 census there were 220 people recorded with the Kempe surname, ranking it #12,087 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 188, ranked #20,417, down from #12,087 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stithians, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and Veryan. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Herefordshire and Plymouth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kempe is 220 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 14.5%.

1881 census count

220

Ranked #12,087

Modern count

188

2016, ranked #20,417

Peak year

1881

220 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kempe had 220 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,087 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 188 in 2016, ranked #20,417.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 220 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Kempe surname distribution map

The map shows where the Kempe surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Kempe surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kempe over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 112 #15,913
1861 historical 152 #15,126
1881 historical 220 #12,087
1891 historical 175 #16,467
1901 historical 191 #15,579
1911 historical 153 #17,633
1997 modern 155 #20,684
1998 modern 165 #20,423
1999 modern 164 #20,621
2000 modern 160 #20,903
2001 modern 156 #20,974
2002 modern 162 #20,839
2003 modern 160 #20,789
2004 modern 157 #21,168
2005 modern 165 #20,468
2006 modern 171 #20,131
2007 modern 172 #20,321
2008 modern 175 #20,311
2009 modern 180 #20,341
2010 modern 193 #19,880
2011 modern 196 #19,538
2012 modern 196 #19,463
2013 modern 197 #19,725
2014 modern 196 #19,961
2015 modern 190 #20,272
2016 modern 188 #20,417

Geography

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Where Kempes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stithians, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Veryan, Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Herefordshire and Plymouth. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Stithians Cornwall
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 Veryan Cornwall
4 Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton Devon
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 055 Cornwall
2 Herefordshire 021 Herefordshire, County of
3 Plymouth 026 Plymouth
4 Cornwall 071 Cornwall
5 Plymouth 007 Plymouth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kempe

These lists show first names that appear often with the Kempe surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kempe

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Kempe, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Kempe surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Kempe household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

European Enclaves

Within London, Kempe is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Kempe is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Kempe falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Kempe is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Kempe, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Kempe

The surname Kempe is of English origin and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "cempa", meaning a warrior or soldier. The name was initially a nickname given to those who possessed a martial spirit or were skilled in combat.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Kempe can be found in various medieval records and documents, such as the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273, where it appeared as "Kempe". The Domesday Book of 1086 also mentions several places with names containing the root "cemp", further reinforcing the name's ancient origins.

One notable historical figure bearing the surname Kempe was Margery Kempe (c. 1373-1438), an English Christian mystic and author. Her work, "The Book of Margery Kempe", is considered one of the earliest autobiographical writings in the English language.

Another prominent individual with the Kempe surname was John Kempe (c. 1380-1454), an English churchman who served as Archbishop of York from 1425 until his death. He played a significant role in the conflicts between the Houses of Lancaster and York during the Wars of the Roses.

The surname Kempe is also associated with several place names in England, such as Kempe's Croft in Hertfordshire and Kemp Town, a coastal area in Brighton, which was named after Thomas Kemp (1711-1795), a renowned developer and landowner.

In the literary realm, Sir Nicholas Kempe (1600-1671) was an English playwright and courtier during the reign of King Charles I. His plays, including "The Salutation" and "The Blazing Borne", were performed at the court and contributed to the development of English Renaissance theater.

Another notable figure was John Kemp (1667-1717), an English botanist and horticulturist who made significant contributions to the study of plant life. His work, "Plantarum Rariorum" (Rare Plants), published in 1712, was a groundbreaking publication documenting numerous plant species.

While the surname Kempe may have evolved into different spellings over time, such as Kemp and Kempé, its origins can be traced back to the Old English word "cempa", reflecting its deep historical roots in English culture and society.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kempe families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kempe surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 51 Kempes recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.37x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 51 2.37x
Devon 40 8.91x
Yorkshire 35 1.64x
Cornwall 22 9.01x
Surrey 19 1.81x
Kent 9 1.22x
Essex 8 1.88x
Lancashire 8 0.31x
Buckinghamshire 6 4.60x
Wiltshire 5 2.62x
Glamorgan 4 1.07x
Somerset 3 0.86x
Berkshire 2 1.24x
Durham 2 0.31x
Sussex 2 0.55x
Derbyshire 1 0.30x
Gloucestershire 1 0.24x
Lincolnshire 1 0.29x
Oxfordshire 1 0.75x
Warwickshire 1 0.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Batley in Yorkshire leads with 18 Kempes recorded in 1881 and an index of 88.67x.

Place Total Index
Batley 18 88.67x
Kensington London 12 10.01x
Camberwell 9 6.54x
St George Bloomsbury 9 72.76x
St Stithians 9 666.67x
Foxearth 8 2758.62x
Ealing 7 36.33x
Merton 7 1627.91x
Westminster St James 6 27.08x
Wimbledon 6 50.89x
Bideford 5 103.95x
Gildersome 5 194.55x
Leeds 5 4.15x
Upton Cum Chalvey 5 96.34x
Whiteparish 5 617.28x
Barnstaple 4 56.82x
Bicton 4 3333.33x
Cardiff St John 4 32.63x
Enfield 4 28.29x
St Lawrence 4 79.05x
Toxteth Park 4 4.62x
Long Ashton 3 174.42x
Mabe 3 600.00x
Thrushelton 3 937.50x
Truro St Mary 3 146.34x
Wetherby 3 215.83x
Brampton Bierlow 2 72.99x
Camborne 2 19.88x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 4.92x
Crook Billy Row 2 24.36x
Deal 2 31.90x
Exeter Holy Trinity 2 113.64x
Harpford 2 1000.00x
Holbeck 2 14.13x
Ilfracombe 2 43.29x
Islington London 2 0.96x
Lambeth 2 1.06x
Newton St Cyres 2 317.46x
Romansleigh 2 1818.18x
Shoreditch London 2 2.14x
South Mimms 2 67.57x
St Marylebone London 2 1.74x
Weybridge 2 88.89x
Barnards Inn London 1 3333.33x
Birmingham 1 0.55x
Bridestow 1 208.33x
Cheetham 1 5.24x
Chelsea London 1 1.54x
Exeter Heavitree 1 29.85x
Exeter St David 1 26.11x
Exeter St Mary Major 1 36.90x
Falmouth 1 11.57x
Farnham Royal 1 129.87x
Folkestone 1 7.01x
Kedleston 1 1111.11x
Lewisham 1 2.55x
Lindfield 1 64.94x
Linkinhorne 1 58.82x
Newbury 1 19.31x
Reading St Giles 1 6.30x
Redruth 1 14.49x
Rottingdean 1 80.65x
Sampford Courtenay 1 149.25x
Shipton Under Wychwood 1 116.28x
St Augustine Watling 1 909.09x
St Clement 1 39.22x
St George Hanover Square 1 2.63x
Stoke Damerel 1 3.18x
Thelbridge 1 625.00x
Tywardreath 1 63.69x
Uxbridge 1 40.65x
Walton Le Dale 1 14.56x
Warehorne 1 256.41x
West Firsby 1 3333.33x
Westbury On Trym 1 6.98x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Kempe surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Kempe surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 13
John 12
Charles 5
Edward 5
Frederick 5
Alfred 4
Arthur 3
James 3
Frank 2
George 2
Harry 2
Herbert 2
Reginald 2
Robert 2
Samuel 2
Seth 2
Thomas 2
Agustine 1
Allen 1
Austin 1
Bernard 1
Chas. 1
Chas.E. 1
Chas.P 1
Cuthbert 1
E. 1
Emmerson 1
Francies 1
Francis 1
Fredk. 1
H. 1
Harold 1
Harriet 1
Henry 1
Jas. 1
Jno. 1
Joseph 1
Lewis 1
Morris 1
Peter 1
Richard 1
Robt. 1
Ronald 1
T. 1
Tom 1
Walter 1
Wilfred 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Kempe surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kempe surname in 1881?

In 1881, 220 people were recorded with the Kempe surname. That placed it at #12,087 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kempe surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 188 in 2016. That gives Kempe a modern rank of #20,417.

What does the Kempe surname mean?

A habitational name for someone from any of various places called Kemp or Kempe, derived from Old English "camp" meaning "battlefield" or "contest ground".

What does the Kempe map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Kempe bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.