Find out how popular the last name Kampf is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Kampf.

Kampf, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Kampf surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kampf in America

Kampf is the 26576th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kampf surname appeared 917 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Kampf.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kampf to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Kampf

The surname Kampf originated in Germany, with the earliest recorded examples dating back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "kampf," meaning "battle" or "fight." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive surname to someone who was known for their fighting or warrior-like qualities.

In the late 13th century, the name Kampf appeared in various records and manuscripts from the regions of Bavaria and Saxony. One notable early mention was in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony, where a person named Heinrich Kampf was recorded in 1287.

During the 14th century, the name Kampf began to spread across other parts of Germany, including Thuringia and Franconia. In the town of Erfurt, a certain Konrad Kampf was listed as a resident in the city's tax records from 1337.

By the 15th century, the surname Kampf had become well-established in various areas of Germany. One notable individual was Hans Kampf, a merchant and alderman who lived in Nuremberg from 1425 to 1496. Another was Matthäus Kampf, a scholar and physician born in Erfurt in 1472, who later taught at the University of Leipzig.

In the 16th century, the name Kampf was found in various regions, including the Palatinate and Swabia. One example is Johann Kampf, a Protestant reformer born in Reutlingen in 1505, who later became a pastor and published several theological works.

Throughout the centuries, the surname Kampf has also been associated with various place names and toponyms. For instance, there was a village called Kampfmühl in Bavaria, derived from the German words "kampf" and "mühl" (mill), suggesting a possible connection to the name's origin or meaning.

While the surname Kampf may not be as common as some other German surnames, it has a long and storied history, with its roots dating back to the Middle Ages and its meaning reflecting the warrior-like qualities of its early bearers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kampf

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Kampf.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Kampf was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Kampf has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Kampf was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Kampf, please contact us.

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