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

Kemper, 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 Kemper surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kemper in America

Kemper is the 3401st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kemper surname appeared 10,518 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Kemper.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kemper 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 Kemper

The surname Kemper originated in Germany and can be traced back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old High German word "kembro" or "kembo," which means "warrior" or "fighter." The earliest known spelling of the name was "Kembere," which appeared in records from the Rhineland region.

During the Middle Ages, the Kemper name was particularly prevalent in the areas of Westphalia, Lower Saxony, and Friesland. It is believed that some bearers of the name were members of the military class or served as knights or soldiers, reflecting the warrior connotation of the name's origin.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Kemper name can be found in the Codex Traditionum Westphalicarum, a collection of charters and documents from Westphalia dating back to the 9th century. The name also appeared in various local records and manuscripts throughout the Medieval period.

The Kemper family played a role in the history of the city of Münster, located in Westphalia. In the 16th century, during the Anabaptist rebellion known as the Münster Rebellion, a man named Bernhard Kemper is recorded as being one of the leaders of the city's defense against the rebel forces.

Another notable figure with the Kemper surname was Johann Kemper (1670-1753), a German theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Giessen. He was highly regarded for his works on ethics and natural law.

In the 19th century, Wilhelm Kemper (1824-1892) was a prominent German architect who designed several notable buildings in Berlin, including the Reichstag building and the Berlin Cathedral.

The Kemper name also has historical connections to the Netherlands. Jan Kemper (1884-1957) was a Dutch painter and printmaker known for his landscapes and city scenes. His works are now part of the collections of various museums in the Netherlands.

Lastly, Margot Kemper (1903-1991) was a German actress who appeared in numerous films during the Golden Age of German cinema in the 1930s and 1940s. She is remembered for her performances in films such as "Die Hose" (1927) and "Der Kongreß tanzt" (1931).

These examples illustrate the long history and diverse backgrounds of individuals bearing the Kemper surname, which can be traced back to its warrior-related origins in medieval Germany.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kemper

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

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 Kemper 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 Kemper 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 Kemper was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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