Kim - Name Meaning and Popularity -

Meaning of Kim

The name Kim, pronounced /kɪm/ in English, functions as a unisex given name with dual etymological roots in both Anglo-American and Korean contexts. In its English usage, Kim originated as a diminutive of the feminine name Kimberley—itself derived from the Old English elements cyne (“royal”) and beorg (“hill”)—and has long been embraced for its concise phonetic form and neutral register. Concurrently, in Korean tradition, Kim (金) denotes the character for “gold” and serves as one of the most common surnames, occasionally adopted as a given name to convey connotations of value and permanence. Empirical data from the United States Social Security Administration reveal a pronounced ascendance in mid-twentieth-century popularity, peaking at 12,474 occurrences (rank 33) in 1960, followed by a gradual diminution to only 28 occurrences (rank 922) by 2024, thereby illustrating its transition from a ubiquitous appellation to a stylistically selective, perhaps nostalgically inflected, choice. This longitudinal trajectory underscores the name’s capacity to traverse cultural boundaries while simultaneously reflecting broader sociolinguistic shifts in naming practices over the past century.