Kemp
An old surname for a champion or warrior, later also linked to strength and spirited striving.
The #753 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 6,691 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Kemp comes from an old word meaning a champion, soldier, or fighter. The name is usually traced to Old English and related Germanic forms, with cognates in Old Norse and Scots that carried the sense of a brave contender or strong man. In Scotland, the related verb could also mean to strive or compete, especially in reaping or other labor.
History
The surname appears early in English and Scottish records and was already being explained by 19th-century scholars as a word for a champion or soldier. It has long been found in both England and Scotland, and related forms such as Kempe and Camp show up in historical spellings. Because the underlying word was a common nickname-term for a bold or powerful person, the surname could arise independently in more than one place.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Some older writers connected Kemp with the idea of a champion in formal contest, while Scottish usage also preserved a more everyday sense of striving hard at work.
From the historical record
“KEMMISH. A corruption of Kemyss. KEMP. KEMPE. Jamieson's definition is — " 1. A champion. Dovglas. 2. Some- times it includes the idea of strength and uncommon size. Bannatyne Poems. 3. The champion of a party in controversy. Winyct. — A-Sax. cevqm, miles ; Suedo- Gothic Itampc, athleta ; Danish, liempe, a giant…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom