Kim

Kim - A very unique female name

Kim appeared on the charts for the first time in 1931 on position #1526. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Kim and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Kim? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Kim. The baby girl name Kim was given to 12 baby girls in 2025, ranking #3589 on the national girl baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 108,623 baby girls were given this name - making this a very unique female name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Kim peaked in popularity 66 years ago in 1960 on position 34.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Kim, 1-5?

Kim is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Kim is currently topping the baby name charts in New York at position #2,260 - and is the least popular in California at position #2,642.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Kim is where you live.

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Kim origin and meaning

English, short form of Kimberly

Short form of Kimberly, from the Kimberley place name

Kim for girls is the short form of Kimberly, worn as a full name since the 1950s. Kimberly itself comes from the South African city Kimberley, named for Lord Kimberley, over an Old English place name. Kim peaked for girls in 1960 with 12,474 births and has fallen ever since. It is also, separately, the commonest Korean surname, which is a surname use, not this given name.

Attested etymology

Kim is a 3 letter name with 1 syllables.

To see famous people named Kim, pop culture references for the name Kim and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Kim

We've found the following names that sound similar to Kim, sorted by popularity.

Kiana / Kenya / Kenna / Kenia / Kianna / Kami / Kamiyah / Kamya / Kamiya / Keyana /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Kim

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Kim a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique female name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Kim?

1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

KIM · /kɪm/

Around the world

• Kimberly (English) — The full name of which Kim is the short form.

Spellings and nicknames

• Kimberly — The full name; a separate established name.
• Kym — A stylised spelling.

Famous bearers

• Kim Novak — American film actress, star of Vertigo (b. 1933) Contemporary
• Kim Wilde — British pop singer, known for Kids in America (b. 1960) Contemporary
• Kim Kardashian — American media personality and businesswoman, born Kimberly Kardashian and universally known as Kim (b. 1980) Contemporary

Style

Short formClassic

Why parents choose it

A 1960s favourite now in quiet retirement — short, friendly and thoroughly familiar.

Worth knowing

• Kim Kardashian dominates the modern association, and Kim is also a major Korean surname, which causes mix-ups.