Surname Kempkens - Meaning and Origin
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Kempkens: What does the surname Kempkens mean?
The last name Kempkens is a German surname derived from the Old German word 'Kempen,' which was an Old High German word meaning 'soldier.' The Kempkens surname was likely adopted by a family who had a soldier living among them, either as a family member or as a close friend. It may also have been derived from the name of a village near the Rhine called Greetings or Grenden, which in Low German means 'stone-border hill.'
The Kempkens surname has varied spellings, including but not limited to Kempes, Kampes, Kamps, Kempfes, Kampsius, Kempf, Kems, Kempisch, Kempinsky, and Kembel. It is most common throughout the German-speaking parts of Europe, but is also observed in North America and other parts of the world.
The Kempkens surname is associated with a number of notable people. In Germany, Johannes Kempkens was a 15th-century painter who worked in a number of Dusseldorf institutions. In the United States, there was a politician from Oregon who served in the Oregon House of Representatives named John Kempkens.
Many Kempkens families adopted a coat of arms, which typically depicted one or two stars, as a symbol of their connection to the military and to honor their ancestor's service or courage. The Kempkens coat of arms was used as a stamp of identity and authority during the Middle Ages.
Overall, the Kempkens surname is typically associated with courage and military service. It is a surname that has strong ties to Germany, but is also found in other parts of the world today.
Order DNA origin analysisKempkens: Where does the name Kempkens come from?
The last name Kempkens is a Dutch surname, so it is most commonly found in regions of the Netherlands where Dutch is spoken. It can also be found in parts of Germany, because of long-standing German-Dutch connections, and parts of Europe like Luxembourg, Belgium, Britain, France, and even as far north as Finland.
The last name is fairly popular in the Netherlands, ranking as the 477th most common surname in the country according to recent data. It's less common in other areas, but there are still a few areas where it can be found. For example in Germany the name Kempkens ranks as 1091 in terms of popularity, while in Finland it's ranked at 744.
In the United States, there are a few notable occurrences of the name Kempkens. It appears often in New York City, specifically in the Bronx borough, with a few families still living in the area there. There are also occurrences of the name in Michigan, Illinois, and Washington states.
Overall, the surname Kempkens is most common in regions of the Netherlands as well as neighboring countries in Europe, and appears occasionally in areas of the United States with rich Dutch heritage.
Variations of the surname Kempkens
Kemptkens is a rare German surname of uncertain origin. Variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin for Kemptkens include Kempken, Kempen, Kempmann, Kempter, Kempfer, Kemptener, and Kempkenn. All of these variants are derived from the Middle Low German word ‘Kempen’, meaning ‘battlefield’.
The surname Kempken or Kempen may refer to a person from the municipality of Kempen in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, located in the Lower Rhine region. Kempen comes from the Latin words campus (‘field’) and sacer (‘sacred’).
The surname Kempmann or Kemptner is likely a patronymic name which is derived from the German personal name ‘Kempen’. This personal name is a form of the medieval ancestor of modern-day Kemp, which has its roots in Middle English and Old High German.
Kempfer and Kemptener are both patronymic names which mean ‘son of Kemp, the military leader’. Kempfer is derived from the German word ‘Kampf’, meaning ‘struggle’ or ‘struggling’, while Kemptener is derived from the Middle Low German word ‘Kempt’, which means ‘leader’.
Finally, Kempkenn is an alternate spelling of Kempken or Kempen and is more likely to be found in documents dating from the early Middle Ages. This spelling may also have its roots in the Old High German word ‘Kempa’, which means both ‘fighter’ and ‘warrior’.
Famous people with the name Kempkens
- Michael R. Kempkens: Actor and Producer from Germany
- Katja Kempkens: German voice artist
- Dirk Kempkens: German actor
- Lars Kempkens: Dutch television director
- Tess Kempkens: Dutch television presenter
- Günter Kempkens: Former German professional footballer
- Andreas Kempkens: German economist and cricketer
- Arthur Kempkens: Dutch footballer
- Stephen Kempkens: American actor and comedian
- Susan Kempkens: Editor-in-Chief at BuzzFeed Germany