Kemper

Kemper is a familiar surname that is sometimes adopted as a given name. As such, it is a gender-neutral choice, though an incredibly rare one at that.

As a surname, Kemper originated in the border region of Germany and the Netherlands. There are slight nuances in meaning between the countries — in Germany, Kemper referenced a serf, while in the Netherlands it referred to anyone who worked with hemp. Kemper can also designate a person from a town named Kempen, a dozen of which can be found near the Dutch-German border.

You may associate Kemper with actor Ellie Kemper, who starred in TV shows such as The Office and The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

Pronounced KEM-pur.

As of October 2026, Kemper ranked #5824 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #4930 in 2023.