name
Common
Kim
kihm
Kim (name) means a unisex given name, often short for Kimberly, and also a common Korean surname. Example: “Kim moved to Seoul to study abroad.”
name
1
A unisex given name, often short for Kimberly, and also a common Korean surname.
"Kim moved to Seoul to study abroad."
"It will take some getting used to, a husband named Kim. She has known girls named Kim since she was a squirt in a sunsuit. Quite a few really. Kimberleys and plain Kims."
— Don DeLillo, Mao II (1991)
"The use of “Eye of the Tiger” at a rally for Kentucky clerk Kim Davis has Survivor’s Jim Peterik “risin’ up to the challenge” – and threatening action."
— Todd Leopold, Band unhappy with use of ‘Eye of the Tiger’ for Kim Davis (2015)
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Word forms
- Plural
- Kims
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Can you complete this real example?
_____ moved to Seoul to study abroad.
Etymology
As a male name it is a clipping of Kimball and Kimberley, and as a female name a clipping of Kimberley and Kimberly.
Related words
Rhymes for Kim
See all rhymes for Kim →Frequently asked questions
What does “Kim” mean?
The word “Kim” means a unisex given name, often short for Kimberly, and also a common Korean surname.
How do you pronounce “Kim”?
“Kim” is pronounced kihm (/kɪm/ in IPA).
How do you use “Kim” in a sentence?
Here is “Kim” used in a sentence: “Kim moved to Seoul to study abroad.”
What part of speech is “Kim”?
“Kim” is a name.
Is “Kim” a common word?
“Kim” is a fairly common word in modern English.
What is the name Kim short for?
Kim most often works as a short form of Kimberly or Kimberley, but it is also given as a full name in its own right. For men it has served as a nickname for names like Kimball. Rudyard Kipling famously used it as a standalone name in his 1901 novel "Kim."
What does the surname Kim mean?
Kim is the most common family name in Korea, borne by roughly one in five Koreans. Written with a character associated with gold or metal, it traces back to ancient royal clans. As a surname it is entirely separate in origin from the Western given name Kim.
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