Kim is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Kim means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Kim across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Kim has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Kim is a girl name of Old English origin meaning “from the royal wood meadow”. a short form of Kimberly.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 214,768 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 695 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 1,650 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 22 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 2,138 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 5,792 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Kim per year, United States (1912 to 2025). United States peaked in 1960 (13,635/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1987 (112/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1981 (101/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (98/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1999 (5/yr).
Kim has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1960, when it ranked #68 nationally (given to 13,635 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1960s.
Kami · Kiyomi · Kym · Kem · Kimmie · Kam · Kimmy · Cam
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