The first name Kimball
A boy’s name from English meaning “chief”, “war”.
2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
English origin
Kimball means “chief”, “war” in English.
From Old Welsh Cynbel, from cyn (“chief”) + bel (“war”). Possibly also from Old English Cynebeald.
More names that mean warrior.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
Kimball last appeared in the official list in 2000, given to 3 boys.
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Kimball with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Kimball at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 6 boys born in the United States were named Kimball, the 11,405th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1954, when 66 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.
More English boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Kimball mean?
- Kimball means “chief”, “war” in English.
- What is the origin of the name Kimball?
- From Old Welsh Cynbel, from cyn (“chief”) + bel (“war”). Possibly also from Old English Cynebeald.
- How popular is the name Kimball?
- In 2000, 3 boys born in England and Wales were named Kimball, ranking 3,036th.
- Is Kimball a boy's or a girl's name?
- Both. Of the 2,148 US babies named Kimball since 1880, 7% were girls and 93% boys.
- When was Kimball most popular?
- 1954 in the United States, when 66 babies were named Kimball, its highest rank at 911th.
- Is Kimball also a surname?
- Yes. Kimball is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.