Kim

Kim is a given name with multiple independent origins. In English-speaking countries it arose as a short form of Kimberly, itself derived from the South African city of Kimberley, which was named after the British statesman Lord Kimberley; the name gained wide popularity through Rudyard Kipling's 1901 novel featuring a boy protagonist of that name. In Korean tradition, Kim (김) is one of the most common surnames repurposed as a given name, rooted in an ancient clan name associated with the Silla kingdom and meaning gold. Related forms and variants include Kimberley, Kimberlee, and the Scandinavian masculine name Kim, which derives independently from Joakim, itself a form of Joachim.