Kimberly (given name)
| Pronunciation | /ˈkɪmbərli/ /kɪmˈbɛərli/ |
|---|---|
| Gender | Unisex |
| Language(s) | English |
| Other gender | |
| Feminine |
|
| Origin | |
| Language(s) | Old English |
| Word/name | Combination of Kimber and leigh |
| Meaning | "From the meadow of the royal fortress". |
| Region of origin | England |
| Other names | |
| Variant form(s) | Kimberlee, Kimberleigh, Kimberley (also an Australian form of Kimball), Kimberli, Kymberly, Kymberley |
| Short form(s) | Kim, Kimmie, Kimmi, or Kimmy |
| See also | Kimberley (surname) |
Kimberly (also Kimberley or Kimberlee) is a unisex 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".