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Kempster Family History

Kempster Surname Meaning

English: occupational name for a wool or flax comber. Middle English kem(be)stere (an agent derivative of Old English cemban ‘to comb’).

Although this was originally a feminine form of the masculine kembere, by the Middle English period the suffix -stre had lost its feminine force and the term was used to refer to both sexes.

Compare Baxter, Brewster, Dexter.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Kempster family from?

You can see how Kempster families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Kempster family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Kempster families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 239 Kempster families living in London. This was about 21% of all the recorded Kempster's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Kempster families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Kempster 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 Kempster 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 Kempster. 14% of Kempster men worked as a General Labourer and 77% of Kempster women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Kempster were Farmworker and Private Means.

View Census Data for Kempster | 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
    14%
  • Builders Labourer
    8%
  • Gardener
    7%
  • Farmworker
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    77%
  • Housewife
    4%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Private Means
    3%

What Kempster family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 23,000 census records available for the last name Kempster. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Kempster census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Kempster

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Kempster. 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 Kempster immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Kempster. For the veterans among your Kempster ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Kempster military records

You've only scratched the surface of Kempster family history

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What is the average Kempster lifespan?

Between 1962 and 2004, in the United States, Kempster life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1963, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Kempster in 1962 was 79, and 58 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Kempster

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Kempster 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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