Kimberley (surname)

For other uses, see Kimberley.
Kimberley
Language(s)English
Other names
Variant form(s)Kimberly
See alsoKimberley, Kimberly (given names)

Kimberley is a surname in the English language. A variant form of the surname is Kimberly.[1]

Kimberley is derived from any of several places in England named Kimberley.[1] However, several such places have differing etymologies. For example, the Kimberly in Norfolk is derived from two Old English elements: the first is the feminine personal name Cyneburg; the second element is lēah, meaning "wood" or "clearing".[2] The Kimberly in Nottinghamshire is similarly derived, although the personal name is Cynemær. Likewise the Kimberly in Warwickshire is derived from the personal name Cynebold.[3]

An early record of the surname is de Chineburlai, in 1161; and de Kynmerley, in 1300.[4]

The Earls of Kimberley derived their title from the place name in Norfolk. Their name gave rise to the like-named place Kimberley, in Northern Cape, South Africa. From this South African place name comes the modern given names Kimberley and Kimberly.[5]

Notable people with the surname include:

  1. ^ a b Learn about the family history of your surname, Ancestry.com, retrieved 8 December 2010 which cited: Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4 for the surnames "Kimberly", "Kimberley".
  2. ^ Kimberley, Encyclopedia.com, retrieved 8 December 2010 which cited: Mills, A. D. (2003), A Dictionary of British Place-Names, Oxford University Press
  3. ^ Rye, James (1991), A popular guide to Norfolk place-names, Larks Press, ISBN 978-0-948400-15-5
  4. ^ Reaney, Percy Hilde; Wilson, Richard Middlewood (2006), A Dictionary of English Surnames (3rd ed.), London: Routledge, pp. 1854–1855, ISBN 0-203-99355-1
  5. ^ Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006), A Dictionary of First Names, Oxford Paperback Reference (2nd ed.), Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 159, ISBN 978-0-19-861060-1