Given name & surname
Kimberly
“of the royal fortress”
Kimberly is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “of the royal fortress.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “of the royal fortress.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1933. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Kimberly through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 850,666
- 4,273 boys · 846,393 girls
- Most popular year
- 1970
- 34,243 babies
- 2025
- 1,009
- #303 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −29%
- Easing
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 0% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 1,009 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 303 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 29.0% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 34,130 in 1970. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (178). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 696,165 as a first name in 2020; 1,793 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Kimberly’s family of names
In English usage, Kimberly has a diminutive in Kim. In English usage, Kimberly has a related form in Kimberley. In Norwegian Bokmål usage, Kimberly has a short form in Kim.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Kimberly has relatives in 10 languages. Lines run from its English roots to each of them.
Nicknames & forms 34
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Kimbervariant
- Kimdiminutive · French, Norwegian Bokmål
- Kimberlynvariant
- Kimberleevariant
- Kymbervariant
- Kimberleyvariant · English
- Kimmiediminutive · English
- Kimberlivariant · Esperanto
Show 26 moreShow fewer
- Kimberlievariant
- Kimberleighvariant
- Kimmydiminutive · English
- Kimmberlylikely variant
- Kimberlyylikely variant
- Kimberlyelikely variant
- Kimberllylikely variant
- Kimberleavariant
- Kimbravariant
- Kymvariant
- Kimmivariant
- Kymberleevariant
- Kymberlyvariant
- Kymberlievariant
- Kimberlinvariant
- Kimmberlielikely variant
- Kimberrlylikely variant
- Kimberllielikely variant
- Kimberlévariant · English
- Kymberleahvariant
- Kymberleavariant
- Kimberleahvariant
- Kinboroughvariant
- Kimbroughvariant
- Kimbrovariant
- Kiasberlynvariant
Across languages 4
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Kimberly
- Kim KardashianAmerican media personality, businesswoman, model and actress (born 1980)
- Lil' KimAmerican rapper from New Yorkborn 1974
- Kimberly WyattAmerican dancer and choreographerborn 1982
- Kim RaverAmerican actress and producerborn 1969
- Kimberly Williams-PaisleyAmerican actor and film directorborn 1971
- Kimmie MeissnerAmerican figure skater, born 1989
- Kim RhodesAmerican actress (born 1969)
- Kimberly Eliseactressborn 1967
- Kim Rhodesport shooterborn 1979
Characters named Kimberly: Kim Bauer (the television series 24), Kim Wexler (Better Call Saul), Kimberly Hart (one of the Power Rangers).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Kimberly, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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—
Kington
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