Kempthorn Surname, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Buy JPG Image »

Cornwall, one of the original six "Celtic nations" is the homeland to the surname Kempthorn. A revival of the Cornish language which began in the 9th century AD has begun. No doubt this was the language spoken by distant forebears of the Kempthorn family. Though surnames became common during medieval times, English people were formerly known only by a single name. The way in which hereditary surnames were adopted in medieval England is fascinating. Many Cornish surnames appear to be topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees, many are actually habitation surnames. The name Kempthorn is a local type of surname and the Kempthorn family lived in Devon at Kempthorne in the parish of Beer-Ferris (now Bere Ferrers.)

Kempthorn Early Origins

PDF Coat of Arms
+ Extended History

PDF Coat of Arms + Extended Surname History

Buy PDF History »

The surname Kempthorn was first found in Devon, but this village has long been lost and the majority of the family claim neighbouring Cornwall as their homeland.

Kempthorn Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Kempthorne, Kempthorn, Kimpthorne, Kimpthorn and others.

Kempthorn Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kempthorn research. Another 325 words (23 lines of text) covering the years 1500, 1585, 1602, 1620 and 1679 are included under the topic Early Kempthorn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kempthorn Early Notables (pre 1700)

Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kempthorn Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Kempthorn Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Richard Kempthorn, who was living in Waterloo County, Ontario in 1877

Kempthorn Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Sampson Kempthorn, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1843

Kempthorn Family Crest Products

Citations

Other References

Ingram, Rev. James. Translator Anglo-Saxon Chronicle 1823. Print.
Chadwick, Nora Kershaw and J.X.W.P Corcoran. The Celts. London: Penguin, 1790. Print. (ISBN 0140212116).
Burke, Sir Bernard. Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Peerage and Baronetage, The Privy Council, Knightage and Compainonage. London: Burke Publishing, 1921. Print.
Bardsley, C.W. A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6).
Burke, Sir Bernard. Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry: Including American Families with British Ancestry. (2 Volumes). London: Burke Publishing, 1939. Print.
MacAulay, Thomas Babington. History of England from the Accession of James the Second 4 volumes. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1879. Print.
Crispin, M. Jackson and Leonce Mary. Falaise Roll Recording Prominent Companions of William Duke of Normandy at the Conquest of England. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print.
Weis, Frederick Lewis, Walter Lee Sheppard and David Faris. Ancestral Roots of Sixty Colonists Who Came to New England Between 1623 and 1650 7th Edition. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0806313676).
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds. Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8).
Shirley, Evelyn Philip. Noble and Gentle Men of England Or Notes Touching The Arms and Descendants of the Ancient Knightley and Gentle Houses of England Arranged in their Respective Counties 3rd Edition. Westminster: John Bowyer Nichols and Sons, 1866. Print.
...

The Kempthorn Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Kempthorn Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.

This page was last modified on 9 August 2015 at 12:45.