Find out how popular the last name Kimberly is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Kimberly.

Kimberly, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Kimberly surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kimberly in America

Kimberly is the 14382nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kimberly surname appeared 2,078 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Kimberly.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kimberly to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Kimberly

The surname Kimberly originated in England, with roots tracing back to the Anglo-Saxon era, which spanned from the 5th to the 11th centuries. It is derived from the Old English words "cymbri," meaning "Britons," and "leah," which refers to a woodland clearing or meadow.

Kimberly was initially a place name, referring to settlements or villages located in clearings within wooded areas inhabited by the ancient Britons. The earliest recorded use of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Cumberlie" and "Cumberleia," referring to places in Norfolk and Lincolnshire, respectively.

During the Middle Ages, the name underwent various spelling variations, such as Kymberley, Kymberlie, and Kimberly, as it was adapted to different regional dialects. One notable historical figure bearing this surname was Sir John Kymberley, a 14th-century English knight who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War.

In the 16th century, the name Kimberly gained prominence with the birth of Thomas Kymberley (1508-1554), a renowned English churchman and scholar who served as the Dean of Lichfield Cathedral. Another notable figure was Sir Henry Kimberly (1570-1625), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Warwickshire.

The 17th century saw the emergence of the Kimberly family as prominent landowners and gentry in the county of Norfolk. One notable member was Sir John Kimberly (1638-1707), a baronet and Member of Parliament who played a significant role in the Glorious Revolution of 1688.

In the 18th century, the name Kimberly gained further prominence with the birth of Sir John Kimberly (1726-1793), a British naval officer who served with distinction during the American Revolutionary War. Another notable figure was John Kimberly (1742-1826), an American merchant and politician who served as a Delegate to the Continental Congress from Connecticut.

The 19th century witnessed the continued prominence of the Kimberly name, with individuals such as John Kimberly (1809-1891), an American industrialist and co-founder of the Kimberly-Clark Corporation, a leading manufacturer of paper-based products.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kimberly

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Kimberly.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Kimberly was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Kimberly has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Kimberly was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Kimberly, please contact us.

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