Pronunciation | /ˈkɪmbərli/ /kɪmˈbɛərli/ |
---|---|
Gender | Unisex |
Language(s) | English |
Origin | |
Language(s) | Old English |
Word/name | Combination of Kimber and leigh |
Meaning | "From the meadow of the royal fortress". |
Other names | |
Variant form(s) | Kimberlee, Kimberleigh, Kimberley (also an Australian form of Kimball)[1] |
Short form(s) | Kim, Kimmie or Kimmy |
See also | Kimberley (surname) |
Kimberly (also Kimberley[1] or Kimberlee) is a predominantly feminine given name of Old English origin. John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley, a place in Norfolk, England, popularised the name by giving it to a town in South Africa and a region in Australia. The first element, Kimber, reflects various Old English personal names; in the case of the Earldom in Norfolk this first appeared as Chineburlai in 1086 and seems to mean "clearing of a woman called Cyneburg (Cyneburga in Latin)". The second element is the Old English leah or leigh "meadow, clearing in a woodland".[2]
The given name Kimberley is derived from place of Kimberley, in Northern Cape, South Africa. This South African place name was named after 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 Kimberley, in Norfolk, England. This place name is derived from two Old English elements: the first is the feminine personal name Cyneburg, which means "royal fortress";[citation needed] the second element is lēah, which means "woodland" or "clearing".[1][3] The place name roughly means: the "woodland clearing of the royal fortress." This place name was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Chineburlai.[3]
Kimberly is a given name with many variants. Kimberley is used for males and females, while Kimberlee, Kimberleigh, and Kimberli are common feminine variant forms.[1]
The common Korean surname Kim is not related to Kimberley.