NameCensus.

UK surname

Kempson

A locational surname referring to someone from a place called "Kempston" in England.

In the 1881 census there were 656 people recorded with the Kempson surname, ranking it #5,464 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,143, ranked #5,159, up from #5,464 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, London parishes and Cowley, Iffley (Nuneham Courtney, Berkshire, including Littlemoor Liberty), St Clement. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rossendale, Scarborough and Newport.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kempson is 1,218 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 74.2%.

1881 census count

656

Ranked #5,464

Modern count

1,143

2016, ranked #5,159

Peak year

1999

1,218 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kempson had 656 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,464 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,143 in 2016, ranked #5,159.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 947 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Kempson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kempson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kempson 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 420 #5,797
1861 historical 466 #5,573
1881 historical 656 #5,464
1891 historical 694 #5,646
1901 historical 805 #5,605
1911 historical 947 #4,753
1997 modern 1,048 #5,278
1998 modern 1,173 #4,971
1999 modern 1,218 #4,856
2000 modern 1,143 #5,096
2001 modern 1,121 #5,086
2002 modern 1,139 #5,131
2003 modern 1,142 #5,025
2004 modern 1,167 #4,931
2005 modern 1,159 #4,906
2006 modern 1,133 #5,002
2007 modern 1,157 #4,964
2008 modern 1,157 #4,982
2009 modern 1,178 #5,020
2010 modern 1,190 #5,086
2011 modern 1,183 #5,048
2012 modern 1,134 #5,154
2013 modern 1,157 #5,155
2014 modern 1,164 #5,148
2015 modern 1,157 #5,127
2016 modern 1,143 #5,159

Geography

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Where Kempsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, London parishes, Cowley, Iffley (Nuneham Courtney, Berkshire, including Littlemoor Liberty), St Clement and Luton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rossendale, Scarborough, Newport, Stoke-on-Trent and South Cambridgeshire. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Cowley, Iffley (Nuneham Courtney, Berkshire, including Littlemoor Liberty), St Clement Oxfordshire
5 Luton Bedfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rossendale 010 Rossendale
2 Scarborough 014 Scarborough
3 Newport 015 Newport
4 Stoke-on-Trent 014 Stoke-on-Trent
5 South Cambridgeshire 010 South Cambridgeshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kempson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kempson

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Kempson, 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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Kempson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Kempson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Kempson is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Kempson is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Kempson falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Kempson is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Kempson

The surname Kempson originated in England and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "cemp" meaning a soldier or warrior, and "sunu" meaning son, indicating that the name likely referred to the son of a soldier or warrior in its earliest usage.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Kempson appears in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where a person named Thomas Kempsone is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already established in various spellings by the late medieval period.

The Kempson surname is also closely associated with the village of Kimpton in Hertfordshire, which was once known as Kempton or Kempston. This place name may have influenced the spelling of the surname in certain regions.

In the 16th century, the Kempson name appears in several parish records, including those of St. Michael's Church in Coventry, where a John Kempson was buried in 1556. Around the same time, a Thomas Kempson was recorded as a resident of the town of Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire.

Notable individuals with the Kempson surname include:

1. William Kempson (c. 1590-1663), an English clergyman and academic who served as the President of St John's College, Oxford.

2. Robert Kempson (1819-1905), an English architect known for designing several churches and buildings in the Gothic Revival style.

3. Rachel Kempson (1910-2003), a renowned English actress who appeared in numerous stage productions and films, including "The Importance of Being Earnest" and "The King's Speech."

4. James Kempson (1938-2018), a British actor best known for his roles in the television series "Doctor Who" and "Doomwatch."

5. Philippa Kempson (born 1968), a British actress and writer who has appeared in various television shows, including "Holby City" and "Casualty."

While the Kempson name has been present in England for centuries, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration, contributing to its diverse historical and cultural significance.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kempson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kempson 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. Staffordshire leads with 109 Kempsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.06x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 109 5.06x
Middlesex 83 1.30x
Bedfordshire 80 24.22x
Warwickshire 68 4.23x
Worcestershire 54 6.48x
Surrey 53 1.71x
Oxfordshire 42 10.66x
Lancashire 22 0.29x
Gloucestershire 21 1.68x
Hertfordshire 21 4.78x
Yorkshire 19 0.30x
Leicestershire 12 1.70x
Nottinghamshire 12 1.40x
Essex 11 0.87x
Kent 10 0.46x
Hampshire 9 0.69x
Herefordshire 6 2.29x
Durham 4 0.21x
Cheshire 3 0.21x
Derbyshire 3 0.30x
Northamptonshire 3 0.50x
Sussex 3 0.28x
Suffolk 2 0.26x
Berkshire 1 0.21x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.25x
Cornwall 1 0.14x
Northumberland 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aston in Warwickshire leads with 34 Kempsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.67x.

Place Total Index
Aston 34 7.67x
Willenhall 33 81.82x
Oxford St Clement 26 261.57x
Camberwell 23 5.64x
Broadway 21 586.59x
Luton 19 33.23x
Shillington 18 369.61x
Oddington 16 1454.55x
Stoke Upon Trent 15 6.57x
Clerkenwell London 14 9.30x
Kings Norton 14 18.74x
Sedgley 14 17.50x
Lambeth 13 2.34x
Thornaby 12 50.80x
Battersea 11 4.69x
Islington London 11 1.78x
Kensworth 11 769.23x
Birmingham 10 1.87x
Burmington 10 2500.00x
Dunstable 10 98.52x
Ruddington 10 173.31x
Hammersmith London 9 5.73x
Bedford St Cuthbert 8 273.04x
Clifton 8 250.78x
Cowley 8 65.04x
Eaton Bray 8 240.24x
Kingswinford 8 10.23x
Leicester St Margaret 8 4.64x
Liverpool 8 1.74x
Twickenham 8 29.25x
Yardley 8 37.52x
Chelsea London 7 3.64x
Watford 7 20.53x
Wolverhampton 7 4.23x
Cannock 6 15.97x
Rushall 6 47.36x
Shoreditch London 6 2.17x
Toxteth Park 6 2.34x
Tupsley 6 270.27x
West Ham 6 2.16x
Aldershot 5 11.42x
Bury 5 5.78x
Folkestone 5 11.84x
Oxford St Thomas 5 27.19x
St George In East London 5 8.33x
West Bromwich 5 4.06x
Belbroughton 4 92.59x
Cheltenham 4 4.14x
Claverdon 4 317.46x
Darlington 4 5.46x
Halstead 4 27.23x
Leicester St Mary 4 7.00x
Portsea 4 1.56x
Sheldon 4 454.55x
St Marylebone London 4 1.17x
Wolstanton 4 6.12x
Bromsgrove 3 10.70x
Castle Church 3 23.18x
Chertsey 3 14.93x
Chipping Barnet 3 39.01x
Congleton 3 12.33x
Houghton Conquest 3 220.59x
Northampton All Sts 3 14.73x
St Pancras London 3 0.58x
Storwood 3 1666.67x
Tonbridge 3 3.82x
Willesden 3 4.99x
Withernwick 3 306.12x
Campton 2 165.29x
Croydon 2 1.16x
Ealing 2 3.51x
Edgbaston 2 4.01x
Long Eaton 2 15.17x
Milverton 2 42.37x
Oxford St Mary Magdalen 2 42.83x
Paddington London 2 0.85x
Poplar London 2 1.66x
Rugeley 2 12.95x
Sutton Coldfield 2 11.83x
Wednesfield 2 6.31x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 38
John 33
George 28
Thomas 19
Charles 18
Henry 17
James 13
Joseph 11
Arthur 9
Alfred 8
Frederick 8
Richard 7
Edwin 6
Ernest 6
Frank 6
Harry 6
Walter 6
Edward 5
Herbert 5
David 4
Samuel 4
Albert 3
Thos. 3
Wm. 3
Abel 2
Abraham 2
Archibald 2
Carteret 2
Enoch 2
Hamlet 2
Jas. 2
Jesse 2
Leonard 2
Matthew 2
Percy 2
Robert 2
Catherine 1
Charlie 1
Eric 1
Fred. 1
Fredk.W. 1
Fredwick 1
G. 1
Job 1
Joe 1
Leigh 1
Lionel 1
Luke 1
Maitland 1
Mathew 1

FAQ

Kempson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kempson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 656 people were recorded with the Kempson surname. That placed it at #5,464 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kempson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,143 in 2016. That gives Kempson a modern rank of #5,159.

What does the Kempson surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from a place called "Kempston" in England.

What does the Kempson map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Kempson 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.