Kim is a diminutive of Kimberly. Kimberly originates in Old English language and means "Cyneburg's clearing". It refers to Kimberley, a city is South Africa, named after Lord Kimberley, so ultimately it is derived from an old English surname and as a surname it functions until today. Kimberly can be used as both feminine and masculine given names, currently it is much more popular for girls. In fact, it is one of the most popular feminine given names in the United States. Lately, it was popularized by the American entertainer Kimberly 'Kim' Kardashian.