Kimberley
Kimberley was the 5828th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 21 babies. Its best year was 1967, when it ranked 166th with 2,003 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 2,264 places. More babies were named Kimberley in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Kimberly) Origin uncertain · Old English
- Rank in 2025
- #5,828 girls, down 580 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 21girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19672,003 babies
- Total since 1880
- 38,278babies recorded
What does the name Kimberley mean?
Kimberley is a spelling of Kimberly, pronounced the same way, so it shares Kimberly's meaning and origin.
Kimberly is a spelling of Kimberley, an English place name and surname. Wikipedia explains that the first part reflects various Old English personal names, such as Cyneburg, and the second is leah, 'woodland clearing'. The 1st Earl of Kimberley, named after a Norfolk village, gave the name to a town in South Africa and a region in Australia, and Wikipedia says this popularized it. Wiktionary notes that the given name was popular in the 1960s and 1970s.
lēah (Old English, “woodland clearing”)Cyneburg (Old English, “personal name (one example)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. The leah ending is clear; the personal name in the first element varies by place.
Related names: Kimberley, Kim, Kimber, Kimmy.
See also: English names, names that mean meadow, hill or valley, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Kimberly', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Kimberley (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Kimberley popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 235 since 1949.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #5,828 | 21 |
| 2020 | #5,248 | 24 |
| 2010 | #2,661 | 68 |
| 2000 | #1,523 | 120 |
| 1990 | #666 | 324 |
| 1980 | #398 | 572 |
| 1970 | #185 | 1,770 |
| 1960 | #257 | 1,199 |
| 1950 | #1,196 | 60 |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Kimberley, counting every spelling?
Kimberley is a spelling of Kimberly, a name family that ranked #304 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #5,828 for Kimberley on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,074 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kimberly | 1,009 | #303 | 6,376 |
| Kimberlee | 29 | #4,705 | 124 |
| Kimberley | 21 | #5,828 | 103 |
| Kimberli | 9 | #10,520 | 58 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Kimberley?
21 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Kimberley (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Kimberley born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 401 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Kimberley.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Kimberley?
About 34,500 people born in the US named Kimberley are alive today, with a median age of 57; half are between 49 and 62. That makes Kimberley a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Kimberley by state
How common Kimberley was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 50 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Kimberley: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Kimberley, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Kimberley
What does Kimberley mean?
The origin of Kimberly is uncertain: the leah ending is clear; the personal name in the first element varies by place.
How popular is the name Kimberley?
Kimberley was the 5828th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 21 babies. Its best year was 1967, when it ranked 166th with 2,003 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 2,264 places. More babies were named Kimberley in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Is Kimberley a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Kimberley in the US.
Where is Kimberley most popular?
In 2021–2025, Kimberley was most common in California (0.01 per 1,000 girls).