NameCensus.

UK surname

Kimberley

A locational surname originating from Kimberley, a town in Nottinghamshire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 1,095 people recorded with the Kimberley surname, ranking it #3,632 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,948, ranked #3,292, up from #3,632 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken and Bromsgrove, Upton Warren. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bromsgrove, Harborough and North Warwickshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kimberley is 2,011 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 77.9%.

1881 census count

1,095

Ranked #3,632

Modern count

1,948

2016, ranked #3,292

Peak year

2010

2,011 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kimberley had 1,095 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,632 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,948 in 2016, ranked #3,292.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,570 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Kimberley surname distribution map

The map shows where the Kimberley surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Kimberley surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kimberley over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 540 #4,666
1861 historical 637 #4,207
1881 historical 1,095 #3,632
1891 historical 1,197 #3,581
1901 historical 1,437 #3,534
1911 historical 1,570 #3,092
1997 modern 1,860 #3,241
1998 modern 1,973 #3,188
1999 modern 1,974 #3,211
2000 modern 1,986 #3,183
2001 modern 1,940 #3,186
2002 modern 1,989 #3,191
2003 modern 1,944 #3,189
2004 modern 1,939 #3,194
2005 modern 1,921 #3,191
2006 modern 1,888 #3,248
2007 modern 1,917 #3,228
2008 modern 1,929 #3,231
2009 modern 1,974 #3,244
2010 modern 2,011 #3,256
2011 modern 1,990 #3,246
2012 modern 1,922 #3,298
2013 modern 1,972 #3,286
2014 modern 1,981 #3,288
2015 modern 1,943 #3,307
2016 modern 1,948 #3,292

Geography

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Where Kimberleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken, Bromsgrove, Upton Warren, Birmingham Town: Birmingham and Birmingham Town: Aston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bromsgrove, Harborough, North Warwickshire and Walsall. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 3
2 Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken Warwickshire
3 Bromsgrove, Upton Warren Worcestershire
4 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire
5 Birmingham Town: Aston Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bromsgrove 010 Bromsgrove
2 Bromsgrove 014 Bromsgrove
3 Harborough 006 Harborough
4 North Warwickshire 003 North Warwickshire
5 Walsall 007 Walsall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kimberley

These lists show first names that appear often with the Kimberley surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kimberley

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Kimberley, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Kimberley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Kimberley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Kimberley is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Kimberley is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Kimberley falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Kimberley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Kimberley, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Kimberley

The surname Kimberley originated in England, with the earliest known records dating back to the 12th century. It is a locational name derived from the town of Kimberley in Nottinghamshire, which itself comes from the Old English words "cymenes" meaning "royal" and "leah" meaning "clearing" or "meadow," essentially meaning "the royal meadow."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire in 1176, where a person named Radulfus de Kimberley is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls of 1275 also reference a Hugo de Kymbyrley. These early spellings, such as "Kymbyrley" and "Kymberleye," highlight the evolution of the name over time.

During the Middle Ages, the Kimberley family held lands and properties in Nottinghamshire, with records showing their presence in the area as early as the 13th century. One notable member of the family was John Kimberley, who served as the Sheriff of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire in 1430.

In the 16th century, the name appears in various historical documents, including the Subsidy Rolls of Nottinghamshire from 1545, where a Thomas Kymberley is listed. Another notable figure from this period was Richard Kimberley, born in 1517, who was a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Nottingham.

The 17th century saw the migration of the Kimberley family to other parts of England, with records indicating their presence in counties such as Yorkshire and Derbyshire. One prominent individual from this time was Sir Henry Kimberley (1603-1676), a politician and member of Parliament for the borough of Nottingham.

In the 18th century, the name continued to spread throughout England, with notable bearers including John Kimberley (1707-1782), an English architect who designed several churches and buildings in Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire.

As the centuries progressed, the Kimberley surname became more widespread, and its bearers made their mark in various fields. For instance, John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley (1826-1902), was a prominent British politician who served as the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and the Secretary of State for the Colonies.

Other notable individuals with the surname Kimberley include Sir John Kimberley (1857-1941), a British civil servant and administrator in India, and Alfred Kimberley (1885-1958), an English cricketer who played for Essex County Cricket Club.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kimberley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kimberley surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Warwickshire leads with 474 Kimberleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.66x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 474 17.66x
Worcestershire 198 14.25x
Staffordshire 141 3.92x
Yorkshire 48 0.46x
Middlesex 42 0.39x
Surrey 31 0.60x
Lancashire 27 0.21x
Oxfordshire 21 3.20x
Leicestershire 19 1.61x
Northamptonshire 14 1.40x
Wiltshire 11 1.17x
Cumberland 9 0.98x
Essex 9 0.43x
Kent 8 0.22x
Nottinghamshire 7 0.49x
Cheshire 6 0.26x
Derbyshire 5 0.30x
Glamorgan 5 0.27x
Devon 4 0.18x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.30x
Isle of Man 2 1.01x
Brecknockshire 1 0.47x
Durham 1 0.03x
Gloucestershire 1 0.05x
Hampshire 1 0.05x
Lanarkshire 1 0.03x
Midlothian 1 0.07x
Royal Navy 1 0.79x
Sussex 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aston in Warwickshire leads with 131 Kimberleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.73x.

Place Total Index
Aston 131 17.73x
Bromsgrove 107 228.73x
Birmingham 88 9.84x
Coventry Holy Trinity 69 86.10x
Coventry St Michael 51 59.15x
Kings Norton 24 19.26x
Darlaston 23 46.32x
Oldbury 23 33.64x
West Bromwich 22 10.70x
Sedgley 18 13.49x
Kingswinford 17 13.03x
Allesley 16 453.26x
Leamington Priors 16 24.23x
Leicester St Margaret 15 5.21x
Dudley 14 8.29x
Edgbaston 14 16.82x
Meriden 13 426.23x
Stoneleigh 13 291.48x
Walsall Foreign 12 6.47x
Altofts 11 94.50x
Wednesbury 11 12.25x
Willenhall 11 16.35x
Wolverhampton 11 3.98x
Kettering 10 24.70x
Bethnal Green London 9 1.95x
Millom 9 32.05x
Balsall 8 190.93x
Foleshill 8 28.33x
Kidderminster Borough 8 9.84x
Liverpool 8 1.04x
Newington 8 2.03x
Barrow In Furness 7 4.08x
Islington London 7 0.68x
Liddington 7 460.53x
Sculcoates 7 4.19x
Solihull 7 36.29x
Stoke 7 132.33x
Ardsley 6 49.38x
Mile End Old Town London 6 2.65x
Southwark St Saviour 6 10.97x
Banbury 5 37.99x
Belbroughton 5 69.35x
Beswick 5 15.48x
Bourton 5 274.73x
Chester St John Baptist 5 11.84x
Handsworth 5 5.65x
Horbury 5 27.10x
Kenilworth 5 33.05x
Kidderminster Foreign 5 25.45x
Putney 5 10.31x
Roath 5 5.94x
Stafford St Chad 5 301.20x
Tanworth 5 70.52x
Wollaston 5 56.69x
Bishops Tachbrook 4 184.33x
Broad Clist 4 52.36x
Deptford St Nicholas 4 13.88x
Derby St Alkmund 4 8.01x
Hornsey 4 2.97x
Lexden 4 47.45x
Marton 4 294.12x
St George Hanover Square 4 2.13x
Stainton In Doncaster 4 487.80x
Stoke Upon Trent 4 1.05x
Tickhill 4 59.52x
Warkworth 4 44.40x
Camberwell 3 0.44x
Headington 3 29.41x
Kingston On Thames 3 2.41x
Manchester 3 0.53x
Mansfield 3 6.04x
Mattersey 3 240.00x
Neithrop 3 13.58x
Nuneaton 3 9.65x
Scarborough 3 3.13x
Shoreditch London 3 0.65x
Swindon 3 4.11x
Walthamstow 3 3.97x
Holbeck 2 2.86x
Onchan 2 3.51x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Kimberley surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 67
Sarah 43
Elizabeth 40
Emma 26
Jane 26
Eliza 19
Hannah 19
Ann 18
Alice 16
Ellen 14
Annie 13
Harriett 12
Maria 12
Caroline 10
Louisa 10
Ada 9
Emily 9
Florence 9
Charlotte 8
Edith 8
Martha 8
Agnes 7
Lucy 7
Margaret 7
Clara 6
Rose 6
Fanny 5
Amy 4
Anne 4
Catherine 4
Harriet 4
Kate 4
Lillian 4
Nelly 4
Amelia 3
Elizth. 3
Mabel 3
Matilda 3
Rebecca 3
Selina 3
Sophia 3
Beatrice 2
Bessie 2
Deborah 2
Dorothy 2
E. 2
Frances 2
Gertrude 2
Maude 2
Phoebe 2

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Kimberley surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 70
John 59
George 38
Joseph 36
Thomas 29
James 26
Charles 25
Henry 20
Samuel 15
Arthur 13
Benjamin 12
Albert 11
Alfred 11
David 9
Edward 9
Richard 8
Frederick 7
Harry 7
Edwin 6
Robert 6
Walter 6
Abraham 4
Frank 4
Herbert 4
Job 4
Ernest 3
Francis 3
Saml. 3
Daniel 2
Edmund 2
Enoch 2
Fredk. 2
Fredrick 2
Hugh 2
Josiah 2
Levi 2
Nehemiah 2
Rupert 2
Algernon 1
Benjn. 1
Bernard 1
Bitton 1
Chas.S. 1
Cole 1
Cornelius 1
D. 1
G.V.Donato 1
Gee 1
Geo. 1
H.S. 1

FAQ

Kimberley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kimberley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,095 people were recorded with the Kimberley surname. That placed it at #3,632 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kimberley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,948 in 2016. That gives Kimberley a modern rank of #3,292.

What does the Kimberley surname mean?

A locational surname originating from Kimberley, a town in Nottinghamshire, England.

What does the Kimberley map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Kimberley bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.