Kampe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

Nestled between the Rhine and Wesser rivers is the ancient German region of Westphalia. Westphalia, the home of the name Kampe. In the German provinces, hereditary surnames were adopted after the 12th century, and names that were derived from localities became increasingly widespread. Local surnames originally denoted the proprietorship of the village or estate. When coupled with the German preposition von, which means from or of, local names can indicate that the initial bearer of the name was an aristocrat. However, in modern times, the preposition is frequently dropped from surnames of this type. The Kampe family originally lived on or near a flat area of land which is derived from the Latin word campus, which referred to an enclosed area of flat land. It is also derived from the Latin word champhus, which means battle. Thus, the original bearer originally lived on a flat piece of land, which was either the sight of a great battle or was as level as a battlefield.

Early Origins of the Kampe family

The surname Kampe was first found in Westphalia, where the family became noted for its many branches within the region, many houses acquiring a status and influence which rivaled that of the landed aristocracy. In their later history some branches were elevated to the ranks of nobility as they distinguished themselves through their contributions to the social, political, and economic developments of the nation.

Early History of the Kampe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kampe research. Another 279 words (20 lines of text) covering the years 1163, 1201, 1259, 1272, 1336, 1373, 1380, 1515, 1609, 1660, 1675, 1746, 1747 and 1818 are included under the topic Early Kampe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kampe Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Kampe include Camp, Campe, Campen, Camper, Camperer, Campere, Campner, Kamp, Kampe and many more.

Early Notables of the Kampe family

Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kampe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kampe migration to the United States +

Many Germans emigrated across the Atlantic to seek better lives in North America. This great migration began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century. Resettlement was particularly attractive to those from Westphalia as a means of escape from poverty and religious persecution. For many Westphalian farmers, the chance to own one's own land was also a major incentive. The process of the widespread colonization of the United States began in 1650, when many immigrants from Germany settled in pockets in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. In Canada, German settlements centered around Ontario and the Prairie provinces. Among them:

Kampe Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Christian Kampe, who arrived in Galveston, Tex in 1845 aboard the ship "Everhard", he died in 1846 [1]
Friedrich Kampe, who landed in Galveston, Tex in 1845 [1]
Heinrich Kampe, who arrived in Galveston, Tex in 1845 [1]
Maria Kampe, who landed in Galveston, Tex in 1845 [1]
Mrs. Sophie Kampe, (nee Klaus), who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Everhard" with 5 more family members [1]
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Kampe (post 1700) +

Greg Charles Kampe (b. 1955), American college basketball coach and the current head men's basketball coach at Oakland University
Willi Kampe (1888-1918), German flying ace of World War I credited with eight aerial victories
Gordon Kampe (b. 1976), German composer born in Herne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Anja Kampe (b. 1968), German opera singer, best known for her works of Richard Wagner and other German and Austrian composers
Ieva "Eva" Kampe (b. 1940), Australian silver and bronze medalist track and field athlete

Historic Events for the Kampe family +

Bismarck

Heinz Kampe (1921-1941), German Maschinengefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking [2]

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details