Kemp
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- KEMP
- Origin
- English
- US rank, 2025
- #4,856 for boys
Kemp is a boys' name of English origin, meaning “champion, warrior”. In 2025 it ranked 4,856th for boys in the US (20 babies).
What does Kemp mean?
English: English surname, from Middle English kempe
“champion, warrior”
From a medieval nickname for a fighter or champion, going back to Old English cempa 'warrior'.
Is Kemp a girl's or a boy's name?
Kemp is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 20 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Kemp in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #4,856among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 20about 1 in 85,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 85% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 20 boys in the US were named Kemp, making it the 4,856th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 8,062nd. Its busiest year was 1957, with 31 boys. It first appears in the records in 1898.
It has been given to more boys each year for the last 4 years. 2025 had more boys named Kemp than any year since 1965.
Half of all the boys named Kemp in the US since 1880 were born between 1943 and 1992, the years shaded on the chart below.
Kemp in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 20 | #4,856 |
| 2024 | 15 | #5,899 |
| 2023 | 13 | #6,512 |
| 2022 | 7 | #9,815 |
| 2021 | 5 | #12,141 |
| 2020 | 9 | #8,062 |
| 2019 | 5 | #12,138 |
| 2018 | 12 | #6,699 |
| 2017 | 17 | #5,293 |
| 2016 | 12 | #6,721 |
| 2015 | 14 | #5,995 |
| 2014 | 11 | #7,043 |
| 2013 | 14 | #5,919 |
| 2012 | 8 | #8,858 |
| 2011 | 8 | #8,760 |
| 2010 | 8 | #8,797 |
| 2009 | 9 | #8,305 |
| 2008 | 0 | – |
| 2007 | 11 | #7,090 |
| 2006 | 12 | #6,455 |
| 2005 | 12 | #6,220 |
| 2004 | 10 | #6,970 |
| 2003 | 6 | #9,574 |
| 2002 | 7 | #8,449 |
| 2001 | 6 | #9,236 |
| 2000 | 9 | #6,832 |
| 1999 | 6 | #8,697 |
| 1998 | 11 | #5,460 |
| 1997 | 11 | #5,282 |
| 1996 | 8 | #6,489 |
| 1995 | 12 | #4,785 |
| 1994 | 10 | #5,446 |
| 1993 | 8 | #6,221 |
| 1992 | 5 | #8,426 |
| 1991 | 10 | #5,088 |
| 1990 | 8 | #5,816 |
| 1989 | 11 | #4,521 |
| 1988 | 8 | #5,194 |
| 1987 | 8 | #4,962 |
| 1986 | 9 | #4,453 |
| 1985 | 0 | – |
| 1984 | 7 | #4,969 |
| 1983 | 8 | #4,497 |
| 1982 | 8 | #4,591 |
| 1981 | 8 | #4,507 |
| 1980 | 5 | #6,248 |
| 1979 | 8 | #4,401 |
| 1978 | 8 | #4,155 |
| 1977 | 8 | #4,162 |
| 1976 | 7 | #4,416 |
| 1975 | 5 | #5,462 |
| 1974 | 16 | #2,457 |
| 1973 | 13 | #2,714 |
| 1972 | 11 | #2,989 |
| 1971 | 14 | #2,557 |
| 1970 | 13 | #2,620 |
| 1969 | 15 | #2,216 |
| 1968 | 16 | #2,029 |
| 1967 | 15 | #2,029 |
| 1966 | 13 | #2,215 |
| 1965 | 20 | #1,773 |
| 1964 | 22 | #1,699 |
| 1963 | 25 | #1,584 |
| 1962 | 24 | #1,624 |
| 1961 | 18 | #1,947 |
| 1960 | 24 | #1,657 |
| 1959 | 17 | #1,973 |
| 1958 | 14 | #2,176 |
| 1957 | 31 | #1,410 |
| 1956 | 17 | #1,944 |
| 1955 | 23 | #1,610 |
| 1954 | 18 | #1,825 |
| 1953 | 18 | #1,835 |
| 1952 | 19 | #1,748 |
| 1951 | 15 | #1,971 |
| 1950 | 8 | #2,769 |
| 1949 | 15 | #1,940 |
| 1948 | 10 | #2,442 |
| 1947 | 11 | #2,355 |
| 1946 | 13 | #2,029 |
| 1945 | 12 | #2,008 |
| 1944 | 12 | #2,079 |
| 1943 | 14 | #1,985 |
| 1942 | 13 | #2,041 |
| 1941 | 9 | #2,491 |
| 1940 | 0 | – |
| 1939 | 11 | #2,159 |
| 1938 | 6 | #3,174 |
| 1937 | 9 | #2,479 |
| 1936 | 9 | #2,451 |
| 1935 | 9 | #2,529 |
| 1934 | 10 | #2,393 |
| 1933 | 12 | #2,093 |
| 1932 | 9 | #2,638 |
| 1931 | 9 | #2,650 |
| 1930 | 12 | #2,292 |
| 1929 | 9 | #2,764 |
| 1928 | 10 | #2,659 |
| 1927 | 9 | #2,911 |
| 1926 | 0 | – |
| 1925 | 12 | #2,434 |
| 1924 | 12 | #2,473 |
| 1923 | 16 | #2,019 |
| 1922 | 11 | #2,629 |
| 1921 | 10 | #2,803 |
| 1920 | 15 | #2,130 |
| 1919 | 13 | #2,264 |
| 1918 | 12 | #2,397 |
| 1917 | 14 | #2,090 |
| 1916 | 9 | #2,729 |
| 1915 | 19 | #1,599 |
| 1914 | 10 | #2,100 |
| 1913 | 5 | #2,820 |
| 1912 | 14 | #1,267 |
| 1911 | 0 | – |
| 1910 | 0 | – |
| 1909 | 0 | – |
| 1908 | 0 | – |
| 1907 | 0 | – |
| 1906 | 0 | – |
| 1905 | 0 | – |
| 1904 | 0 | – |
| 1903 | 0 | – |
| 1902 | 0 | – |
| 1901 | 0 | – |
| 1900 | 0 | – |
| 1899 | 0 | – |
| 1898 | 5 | #1,120 |
Names like Kemp
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Dean Clark Warren Wayne Jay Franklin James Wade Harlan Charles John Lee
More English names
Lily Evelyn Hudson Ivy Harper Grace Violet Willow Daisy Poppy Riley Oakley Mason Cooper Ruby Hallie
Sources
Figures from Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Kemp: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/kemp, updated 20 October 2026.