Kimberley
/ˈkɪm.bər.li/noun
A place name and surname, most famously the South African city and the English given name derived from it.
Did you know?Kimberley is a toponymic name from English place-name elements, and the South African city of Kimberley later became world-famous for the diamond rush that turned its name into a symbol of wealth and extraction.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
Cyneburh lēah / Cyneburg lēah
“A clearing or meadow associated with a person named Cyneburg or a royal woman, depending on the local place-name source.”
Middle English
ME
Kimberley / Kymberley
“A place-name spelled in varying forms as English spelling stabilized.”
16th–18th Century
English
Kimberley
“An English surname and later a habitational name taken from the place-name.”
19th Century
English
Kimberley
“A given name, especially for girls, popularized by the prestige of the place-name and surname.”
Modern English
English
Kimberley
“A surname, place name, or given name.”