Kim

Kim: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “Cyneburg's meadow”
Origin: English
Say it: KIM · 1 syllable
Used for: Girls (84% of all uses)

In English usage, Kim is often a short form of Kimberly, originally a place name meaning 'Cyneburg's meadow'. It is also an independent Korean surname with a different origin and meaning.

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How popular is Kim?

202412.3 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Kim in 202441

2024 rank#4,780 girls

Peak year1960

Total US babies since 1880214,725

Kim is steady now but far below its 1960 peak.

Names like Kim

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

KimberlyCyneburg's meadow · Old English
KimberleyCyneburga's meadow · English
Oliviaolive tree · English
Evelyndesired; little bird · English
Harperharp player · English
Violetviolet flower · English
Hazelhazel tree · English
Ellieshort form of names ending in -el or -ella · English

Kim questions

What does the name Kim mean?

Kim means "Cyneburg's meadow". It comes from English. In English usage, Kim is often a short form of Kimberly, originally a place name meaning 'Cyneburg's meadow'. It is also an independent Korean surname with a different origin and meaning.

Is Kim a boy or girl name?

Kim is mainly a girl's name in US records (84% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Kim?

41 US babies were named Kim in 2024. Its peak year was 1960.

How do you pronounce Kim?

Kim is usually pronounced KIM.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.