Kempfer Family Crest & Name History

Ask a genealogist about Kempfer and the first name they will mention is Kemper. Surname dictionaries give the meaning as “Champion, fighter”. Kempfer is listed among the recognised spellings of Kemper. Local scribes, dialects and emigration all left their mark on how the name was written. Other spellings include Kempers, Kempert and Kämper.

In the 2010 US Census, 753 Americans gave Kempfer as their last name (rank 30,889). Between 1891 and 2000, 399 babies born in France were registered as Kempfer, with the most births in 1991–2000. The name became more frequent over the century.

Arms linked to Kemper and its spellings were granted to individual families; our heraldry team traces which line they belonged to. For the full story, order the Kempfer surname pack.