Kimberly (given name)
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| Pronunciation |
/ˈkɪmbərli/ /kɪmˈbɛərli/ |
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| Gender | Feminine |
| Language(s) | English |
| Language(s) | Old English |
| Word/name | Combination of Kimber and |
| Variant form(s) | Kimberlee, Kimberleigh, Kimberli, Kimberlie, Kimberley |
| Short form(s) | Kim |
| See also | Kimberley (surname) |
Kimberly is a female 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, reflect 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". The second element is the Old English leah or leigh "meadow, clearing in a woodland". A variant spelling of the name is Kimberley.
The given name Kimberley is derived from place of Kimberley, in Northern Cape, South Africa. This South African place name was named after a Lord Kimberley in the 19th century. 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; the second element is lēah, meaning "wood" or "clearing". The place name roughly means: the "woodland clearing of Cyneburg". This place name was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Chineburlai. The Old English personal name Cyneburg means "royal fortress".
Kimberly is a given name with many variants. Kimberley is used for males and females, while Kimberlee, Kimberleigh, Kimberli and Kimberlie are common feminine variant forms.
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