NameCensus.

UK surname

Kimberlin

A locational surname derived from places called Kimberley in Nottinghamshire or Norfolk, England, meaning "Cyneburg's clearing".

In the 1881 census there were 75 people recorded with the Kimberlin surname, ranking it #22,893 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 151, ranked #23,615, down from #22,893 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Peter, Market Bosworth and Market Bosworth (Market Bosworth), Shackerstone, Congerston, Nailstone. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Dudley, Kirklees and Wyre Forest.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kimberlin is 180 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 101.3%.

1881 census count

75

Ranked #22,893

Modern count

151

2016, ranked #23,615

Peak year

2010

180 bearers

Map years

5

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kimberlin had 75 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,893 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 151 in 2016, ranked #23,615.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 104 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established Multi-Ethnic Communities.

Kimberlin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kimberlin surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Kimberlin 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 102 #16,933
1861 historical 66 #25,487
1881 historical 75 #22,893
1891 historical 93 #24,965
1901 historical 99 #22,999
1911 historical 104 #22,209
1997 modern 152 #20,948
1998 modern 157 #21,058
1999 modern 163 #20,698
2000 modern 167 #20,332
2001 modern 164 #20,279
2002 modern 171 #20,177
2003 modern 154 #21,308
2004 modern 148 #22,000
2005 modern 155 #21,318
2006 modern 154 #21,576
2007 modern 154 #21,804
2008 modern 157 #21,766
2009 modern 171 #21,024
2010 modern 180 #20,812
2011 modern 167 #21,642
2012 modern 169 #21,437
2013 modern 165 #22,163
2014 modern 163 #22,547
2015 modern 157 #22,997
2016 modern 151 #23,615

Geography

Back to top

Where Kimberlins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Peter, Market Bosworth, Market Bosworth (Market Bosworth), Shackerstone, Congerston, Nailstone, Kidderminster 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 Dudley, Kirklees and Wyre Forest. 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 St Peter Derbyshire
2 Market Bosworth Leicestershire
3 Market Bosworth (Market Bosworth), Shackerstone, Congerston, Nailstone Leicestershire
4 Kidderminster Worcestershire
5 Birmingham Town: Aston Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Dudley 026 Dudley
2 Kirklees 003 Kirklees
3 Wyre Forest 008 Wyre Forest
4 Wyre Forest 007 Wyre Forest
5 Wyre Forest 012 Wyre Forest

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Kimberlin

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Kimberlin

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Kimberlin, 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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Established Multi-Ethnic Communities

Nationally, the Kimberlin surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established Multi-Ethnic Communities, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Kimberlin household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Parents and young children in this Group are drawn from diverse ethnic backgrounds in broadly similar proportions. Employment is typically in elementary occupations, though workers in professional, intermediate or skilled trades occupations are also present. The residential landscape is dominated by terraced housing, although semi-detached houses and flats are also present. This Group is found in London and in many provincial towns and cities throughout the U.K.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Kimberlin is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Kimberlin 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

Kimberlin falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Kimberlin 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 Kimberlin, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Kimberlin

The surname Kimberlin is an English surname that originated in the county of Staffordshire, England, during the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the place name Kimberleys or Kinberley, which means "Cyneburg's lea" or "wood pasture of a woman called Cyneburg." The name is first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Chinbaldestone."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname is in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1199, where it is listed as "Robert de Kinberlega." This indicates that the surname was already well-established in the region by the late 12th century.

Throughout the 13th and 14th centuries, the surname appeared in various records with variations such as Kinberley, Kymberley, and Kymberleye. One notable example is John de Kymberleye, who was a member of the Parliament of England in 1335.

In the 16th century, the spelling of the surname solidified as Kimberlin or Kymberlin. During this period, the name is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1523, where it is listed as "Thomas Kimberlin."

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was William Kimberlin, who was born in Staffordshire in 1545 and became a prominent landowner in the region.

Another notable individual with this surname was John Kimberlin, a 17th-century English clergyman and author who was born in Staffordshire in 1612 and wrote several religious works.

In the 18th century, the surname spread beyond Staffordshire to other parts of England. One example is Thomas Kimberlin, who was born in Derbyshire in 1735 and served as a justice of the peace.

A famous bearer of the surname in the 19th century was Edward Kimberlin, an English architect who was born in Birmingham in 1822. He designed several notable buildings in the city, including the Birmingham Town Hall.

Another individual of note was James Kimberlin, a British explorer and naturalist who was born in Warwickshire in 1856. He traveled extensively in Africa and made significant contributions to the study of African wildlife.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Kimberlin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kimberlin 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 18 Kimberlins recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.76x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 18 9.76x
Leicestershire 14 17.26x
Lancashire 13 1.50x
Worcestershire 11 11.51x
Yorkshire 6 0.83x
Middlesex 5 0.68x
Nottinghamshire 2 2.03x
Staffordshire 2 0.81x
Surrey 2 0.56x
Midlothian 1 1.02x
Rutland 1 18.62x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Market Bosworth in Leicestershire leads with 11 Kimberlins recorded in 1881 and an index of 3793.10x.

Place Total Index
Market Bosworth 11 3793.10x
Birmingham 8 13.01x
Bootle Cum Linacre 8 116.11x
Kidderminster Borough 8 143.11x
Aston 7 13.78x
Kimberworth 6 149.25x
Oldham 4 14.28x
Finchley 2 71.43x
Heather 2 1818.18x
Lambeth 2 3.14x
Snenton 2 51.68x
St George Hanover Square 2 15.52x
Worcester St Michael 2 1818.18x
Atherstone 1 106.38x
Bromsgrove 1 31.06x
Clerkenwell London 1 5.79x
Edgbaston 1 17.48x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 2.54x
Everton 1 3.61x
Hambleton 1 1666.67x
Hatherton 1 909.09x
Leicester St Mary 1 15.27x
Stoke Upon Trent 1 3.82x
Wilnecote 1 188.68x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

FAQ

Kimberlin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kimberlin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 75 people were recorded with the Kimberlin surname. That placed it at #22,893 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kimberlin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 151 in 2016. That gives Kimberlin a modern rank of #23,615.

What does the Kimberlin surname mean?

A locational surname derived from places called Kimberley in Nottinghamshire or Norfolk, England, meaning "Cyneburg's clearing".

What does the Kimberlin map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Kimberlin 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.