Kim
Girl name · 1,650 babies recorded · 1974–2025
Kim: 1,650 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to girls, peaking at 101 births in 1981.
Kim began life as a short form of Kimberly, an English surname turned first name that traces back to the Old English place name Cyneburg's field, meaning "royal fortress meadow." The name shot to fame in the West through Rudyard Kipling's 1901 novel *Kim*, about an Irish orphan boy in India, giving it a strong unisex appeal. Famous bearers include actress Kim Basinger, Canadian prime minister Kim Campbell, and fashion icon Kim Kardashian. The place-name origin is shared with the South African diamond-mining town of Kimberley, itself named after a 19th-century British aristocrat. In Scotland, Kim has been used steadily since the 1970s, largely for girls, though the name's independent roots in Vietnamese and Korean (where it can mean "gold" or be a common surname) add rich international layers. Its simple, two-syllable sound keeps it perennially fresh.
Girl 35 of 52 years
- Peak year
- 1981101 babies
- Latest (2014)
- #6035 babies
- Total births
- 1,650since 1974
- 5-year trend
- ▼ 56%vs prior 5y