Kimberley (surname)

For other uses, see Kimberley.

Kimberley

Language	English
Other names
Variant form	Kimberly
See also	Kimberley, 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:

• Anna Kimberley (born 1995), English female professional squash player
• Barry Kimberley (born 1957), Australian rules footballer
• Edward Kimberley (1762-1829), convict on the First Fleet to Botany Bay
• Eleazer Kimberly (1639–1709), the sixth Secretary of the State of Connecticut
• Gail Kimberly (1927–2011), American writer
• John A. Kimberly (1838–1928), American manufacturing executive, a founder of Kimberly-Clark Corporation
• Jonathan Kimberley DD (1651–1720), Dean of Lichfield from 1713 until his death
• Lawrence Kimberley (born 1962), Dean of Christchurch from 2015 until 2023.
• Lewis Kimberly (1830–1902), United States Naval officer during the American Civil War
• Maria Kimberly (born 1943 or 1944), former American top model and actress
• Oliver Kimberley, Anglican priest in the first half of the Twentieth century
• Patrícia Kimberly, born Gisele Barbosa (born 1984), Brazilian prostitute, stripper, pornographic actress
• Percy Kimberley (1878–1949), Australian rules footballer
• Ron Kimberley (1914–1981), Australian rules footballer
• Talis Kimberley, British folk singer/songwriter, activist, and political figure
• Walter Kimberley (1884–1917), English footballer

See also

• Kimberley (disambiguation)

References

1. 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