Explore the Family Name Kempson

The meaning of Kempson

English (mainly West Midlands): variant of Kempston, a habitational name from Kempston (Bedfordshire), named from an earlier placename Cembes (derived from British cambo- ‘crooked, bent’) + Old English tūn ‘farmstead, estate’.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Kempson in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Kempson has seen a slight decrease in rank from 2000 to 2010, moving from 53,659 to 54,296, a change of -1.19%. However, the actual number of people with the surname increased by 5.26%, growing from 361 in 2000 to 380 in 2010. Despite this increase in count, the proportion per 100,000 people remained steady at 0.13.

20002010Change
Rank#53,659#54,296-1.19%
Count3613805.26%
Proportion per 100k0.130.130%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Kempson

In terms of ethnicity, according to the Decennial U.S. Census, the majority of individuals with the Kempson surname identified as White, although this percentage saw a slight decrease from 77.84% in 2000 to 73.42% in 2010. The percentage of Kempsons identifying as Black saw an increase over the same period, rising from 19.67% to 23.95%. There was no representation for Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnicities in both census years. Interestingly, the 2010 Census also reported a small percentage (1.58%) of Kempsons identifying with two or more races.

20002010Change
White77.84%73.42%-5.68%
Black19.67%23.95%21.76%
Two or More Races0%1.58%0%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Hispanic0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%