The first name Kim
A unisex name.
Pronounced /kɪm/ 1 syllable Unisex Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Clipping of Kimball and Kimberley as a male name, and of Kimberley and Kimberly as a female name.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 7 girls were named Kim, making it the 3,333rd most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 87 births (#382).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Kim with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Kim at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 34 girls born in the United States were named Kim, the 4,228th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1960, when 12,477 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Kim in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Kim in Danish, Norwegian, Portuguese, Slovak, Swedish and Dutch too.
Nicknames and spellings
Other spellings and forms
Famous people named Kim
144 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Kim BasingerAmerican actress (born 1953)
- Kim ClijstersBelgian tennis player, born 1983
- Kim Campbell19th Prime Minister of Canada in 1993
- Kim NovakAmerican actress, born 1933
- Kim CattrallBritish–Canadian actress (born 1956)
- Kim WildeEnglish pop singer (born 1960)
- Kim HunterAmerican actress (1922-2002)
- Kim Stanley RobinsonAmerican science fiction writer (born 1952)
- Kim PeekAmerican savant (1951–2009)
- Kim CarnesAmerican singer and songwriter, born 1945
- Kim DelaneyAmerican actress, born 1961
- Kim StanleyAmerican actress (1925–2001)
Questions
- What does the name Kim mean?
- Clipping of Kimball and Kimberley as a male name, and of Kimberley and Kimberly as a female name.
- How popular is the name Kim?
- In 2025, 7 girls born in England and Wales were named Kim, ranking 3,333rd. Its peak was 1996, with 87 births.
- Is Kim a boy's or a girl's name?
- Both. Of the 214,768 US babies named Kim since 1880, 84% were girls and 16% boys.
- When was Kim most popular?
- 1960 in the United States, when 12,477 babies were named Kim, its highest rank at 34th.
- How do you pronounce Kim?
- Kim is /kɪm/, one syllable.
- What are other spellings of Kim?
- Kym.
- Is Kim also a surname?
- Yes. Kim is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.