Kimberly (given name)

Kimberly

Kimberley, Northern Cape, South Africa
Pronunciation English: /ˈkɪmbərli/ or English: /kɪmˈbɛərli/
Gender Feminine
Language(s) English
Origin
Language(s) English
Word/Name Kimberley, in Northern Cape, South Africa
Other names
Variant form(s) Kimberlee, Kimberleigh, Kimberli, Kimberlie (all feminine); Kimberley (unisex)
Short form(s) Kim
See also Kimberley, Kimberly (surname)

Kimberly is a unisex given name originated from a South African place. The name was derived from an English title, which was in turn derived from an English place name. A variant spelling of the name is Kimberley, borne by both males and females. The form Kimberly is more common in North America than Kimberley. The given name Kim was originally a short form of Kimberley, but it is now established as an independent name in its own right; this name is also borne by both males and females.[1]

Contents

Origin of the given name

The given name Kimberley is derived from the like-named place, Kimberley, in Northern Cape, South Africa. This South African place name was named after a Lord Kimberley, in the 19th century.[1] At the end of the 19th century, this place was the scene of fighting and a British victory during the Second Boer War, and consequently the given name was popularised in the English-speaking world.

The name of Lord Kimberley's title is derived from the like-named place, Kimberley, in Norfolk, England. This place name is derived from two Old English elements: the first is the feminine personal name Cyneburg; the second element is lēah, meaning "wood" or "clearing".[1][2] The place name roughly means: the "woodland clearing of Cyneburg". This place name was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Chineburlai.[2] The Old English personal name Cyneburg means "royal-fortress".

Variants

Kimberly is a given name with many variants. Kim is also common as both a first and last name in Asia. The variant Kym is also common with males. Forms Kimberley, Kimberleigh, Kymberly, Kimberli, Kimberlie, and Kimberlee, are common feminine variants.[1]

People with this name

Fictional characters

References

  1. ^ a b c d Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006), A Dictionary of First Names, Oxford Paperback Reference (2nd ed.), Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 159, ISBN 978-0-19-861060-1 
  2. ^ a b Kimberley, Encyclopedia.com, http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O40-Kimberley.html, retrieved 8 December 2010  which cited: Mills, A. D. (2003), A Dictionary of British Place-Names, Oxford University Press