Kimberley (surname)
| Kimberley | |
|---|---|
| Language(s) | English |
| Other names | |
| Variant(s) | Kimberly |
| See also | Kimberley, Kimberly (given names) |
Kimberley is a surname in the English language. A variant form of the surname is Kimberly.[1]
Kimberley is derived from any of several places in England named Kimberley.[1] However, several such places have differing etymologies. For example, the Kimberly in Norfolk is derived from two Old English elements: the first is the feminine personal name Cyneburg; the second element is lēah, meaning "wood" or "clearing".[2] The Kimberly in Nottinghamshire is similarly derived, although the personal name is Cynemær. Likewise the Kimberly in Warwickshire is derived from the personal name Cynebold.[3]
An early record of the surname is de Chineburlai, in 1161; and de Kynmerley, in 1300.[4]
The Earls of Kimberley derived their title from the place name in Norfolk. Their name gave rise to the like-named place Kimberley, in Northern Cape, South Africa. From this South African place name comes the modern given names Kimberley and Kimberly.[5]
Notable people with the surname include:
- Barry Kimberley (1957–), Australian rules footballer
- Lewis Kimberly (1830–1902), United States Naval officer during the American Civil War
- Walter Kimberley (1884–1917), English footballer
References
- 1 2 Learn about the family history of your surname, Ancestry.com, retrieved 8 December 2010 which cited: Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4 for the surnames "Kimberly", "Kimberley".
- ↑ Kimberley, Encyclopedia.com, retrieved 8 December 2010 which cited: Mills, A. D. (2003), A Dictionary of British Place-Names, Oxford University Press
- ↑ Rye, James (1991), A popular guide to Norfolk place-names, Larks Press, ISBN 978-0-948400-15-5
- ↑ Reaney, Percy Hilde; Wilson, Richard Middlewood (2006), A Dictionary of English Surnames (3rd ed.), London: Routledge, pp. 1854–1855, ISBN 0-203-99355-1
- ↑ 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