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Kember Family History

Kember Surname Meaning

From Middle English kemere, kember, kimer, and kimber, which means ‘one who cards wool or flax’, the term is a derivative of Middle English kemen and kemben (Old English cemban) signifying ‘to card or comb with a tool made of teasel heads’. It is worth noting the comparison with Kempster and Comber.

Some of the names listed below, without the definite article, may alternatively belong to a different category. It is possible that these names derive from the Middle English personal name Kenemere, reinforced by the variant Kinemer, wherein -nm- transitions into -mb- or gets reduced to -m-.

The personal name could represent either Old English Cēnmǣr or Old English Cynemǣr. These names are compounds formed with cēn- meaning ‘bold’ or cyne- referring to ‘kin’ or ‘family’, combined with mǣre which means ‘famous’.

Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, 2016


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Where is the Kember family from?

You can see how Kember families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Kember family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Kember families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 141 Kember families living in Kent. This was about 28% of all the recorded Kember's in United Kingdom. Kent had the highest population of Kember families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Kember surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Kember ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Kember. 15% of Kember men worked as a General Labourer and 73% of Kember women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Kember were Fitters Labourer and Private Means.

View Census Data for Kember | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    15%
  • Electrician
    15%
  • Bricklayer
    15%
  • Fitters Labourer
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    73%
  • Housewife
    5%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Private Means
    4%

What Kember family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 10,000 census records available for the last name Kember. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Kember census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Kember

Passenger Lists

There are 942 immigration records available for the last name Kember. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Kember immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 564 military records available for the last name Kember. For the veterans among your Kember ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Kember military records

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What is the average Kember lifespan?

Between 1966 and 2004, in the United States, Kember life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1997, and highest in 1966. The average life expectancy for Kember in 1966 was 97, and 92 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Kember

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Kember ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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