2000
#8,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,721
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.38
Rare Last name
Kamp
Derived from the Dutch word for "camp" or "field," likely referring to someone who lived near or worked at a camp.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,113 Americans carry the last name Kamp. That puts it at #8,773 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 83,334 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kamp surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Kamp with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.1K
1 in 83,334
Census rank
#8,773
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,587 bearers of the surname Kamp in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8773rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kamp, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kamp
The surname Kamp is of Dutch and German origin, with its roots dating back to the Middle Ages. The name likely derived from the Dutch and German word "kamp," meaning "field" or "enclosure." It was initially used as a topographic name, referring to someone who resided near or worked on a field or enclosed area.
In the Netherlands, the name Kamp can be traced back to the 14th century, particularly in the provinces of Gelderland and Overijssel. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Gelderland archives from 1387, where a certain Gheryt van den Campe is mentioned.
During the medieval period, the Kamp surname also appeared in various German regions, such as Westphalia and the Rhineland. In Westphalia, the name was often associated with the town of Kamp-Lintfort, which was first documented in 1036. The Westphalian branch of the Kamp family produced several notable individuals, including Johann Kamp (1535-1610), a Lutheran theologian and reformer.
The Kamp surname has been recorded in various historical documents and records throughout the centuries. In England, the Domesday Book of 1086 includes an entry for a place named "Campe," which may have been the origin of some Kamp families in the region.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Kamp surname was Nicolaus Kamp, a Dutch painter who lived in the 15th century. Another notable figure was Pieter Kamp (1573-1629), a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his portraits and genre scenes.
In the 17th century, the Kamp name gained prominence in the Netherlands with the birth of Jacob Kamp (1650-1723), a renowned Dutch playwright and poet. His works, including the play "Gezwinde Juffer" (The Agile Maiden), were widely acclaimed and influential in Dutch literature.
The 18th century saw the rise of Johann Kamp (1760-1824), a German composer and violinist who served as the music director at the court of Anhalt-Zerbst. His compositions included symphonies, concertos, and chamber music.
In the 19th century, Johann Kamp (1856-1923), a German architect, made significant contributions to the design of several notable buildings in Berlin and other German cities, including the Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral).
These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals who have carried the Kamp surname throughout history, reflecting its rich heritage and diverse origins across various regions of Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kamp
Among Census respondents with the surname Kamp, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Kamp bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Kamp surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 3,334
- Two or more races2.8% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 78
- Black or African American1.0% · 36
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kamp
Kamp appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#8,006
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,131
+410 bearers (+11.0%)
Per 100,000 1.40
Rank movement Up 200 places
2020
#8,773
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,587
-544 bearers (-13.2%)
Per 100,000 1.20
Rank movement Down 767 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,206 | 3,721 | 1.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,006 | 4,131 | 1.40 | +410 bearers (+11.0%) | Up 200 places |
| 2020 | #8,773 | 3,587 | 1.20 | -544 bearers (-13.2%) | Down 767 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Kamp surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,006 | #8,773 | -9.6% |
| Count | 4,131 | 3,587 | -13.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.40 | 1.20 | -14.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kamp bearers went from 4,131 to 3,587 (-13.2% change). The surname moved down 767 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,006 to #8,773.
FAQ
Kamp surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kamp?
Name Census estimates that about 4,113 living Americans carry the surname Kamp. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 83,334 residents.
How common is Kamp?
Kamp ranks #8,773 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.20 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,587 people with the surname Kamp. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,113), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.20 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Kamp.
Has Kamp become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kamp went from 4,131 recorded bearers to 3,587. That is a decrease of 544 (-13.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,006 to #8,773.
What does the Census say about the background of Kamp?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kamp, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Kamp in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (3,334 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kamp appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Two or More Races (2.8%), Hispanic (2.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Kamp (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Kamp mean?
Derived from the Dutch word for "camp" or "field," likely referring to someone who lived near or worked at a camp. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Kamp (1.20 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Kamp?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Kamp, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.