Kemph History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The distinguished Kemph family emerged in Pomerania, a territory of Germany and a maritime province of Prussia. Pomerania was bounded on the south by Brandenburg, on the west by Mecklenburg, and on the east by Poland. During the 5th century, Pomerania was settled by Pommern, who were a Slavic tribe. Pommern, which means on the sea, became the name of this region during the reign of the Charlemagne.

Early Origins of the Kemph family

The surname Kemph was first found in Pomerania, where the family contributed greatly to the development of an emerging nation and would later play a large role in the political conflicts of the area. The family branched into many houses, many of which acquired estates and manors throughout the surrounding regions, where they played significant roles in the social and political affairs. Individual bearers of the name first mentioned in ancient chronicles include Herward Kempe of Rostock, Pomerania who lived in the year 1257.

Early History of the Kemph family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kemph research. Another 328 words (23 lines of text) covering the years 1658, 1679, 1680, 1816 and 1833 are included under the topic Early Kemph History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kemph Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Kempen, Kempe, Kemp, Kaempen, Kaempe, Cempen, Caempen, Caempe, Kempendorf, Kempner, Cempner and many more.

Early Notables of the Kemph family

Prominent bearers of the name Kemph at this time were

Jacob Kemphen, Swedish captain who heroically defended the Damgarten Pass in 1679

Kemph migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Kemph Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Kemph, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1844 1

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)