Kym

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Kym

Pronounced KIM /ˈkɪm/High

Meaning: Kym is a variant spelling of Kim. Kim is a unisex short form, most often of Kimberley, an Old English place-name (from a personal name plus leah, 'wood, clearing'); it was also used by Kipling for a boy hero. Here it is a boy's name.Low

In 30 seconds: Kym is a variant of Kim — a unisex short form of Kimberley — used here as a boy's name (said 'KIM').

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Origin MediumEnglish

MeaningKym is a variant spelling of Kim. Kim is a unisex short form, most often of Kimberley, an Old English place-name (from a personal name plus leah, 'wood, clearing'); it was also used by Kipling for a boy hero. Here it is a boy's name.

U.S. rank (1996)#9881 ↘ Falling

1996 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1959

Total births (all-time)≈ 173

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Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Kym is a y-spelled Kim, a short form usually of Kimberley — an Old English place-name blending a personal name with leah, 'wood' or 'clearing'. Kim has long swung between boys and girls, and Kipling famously gave it to a boy in his novel Kim.

As a boy's name it was always exceedingly rare, cresting around 1959 in tiny numbers as the name tilted increasingly female. It reads as a mid-century variant, and its boyhood use has all but disappeared.

Did you know? Kim is genuinely unisex: Kipling gave it to a boy hero, and it served both boys and girls in the mid-twentieth century; the Kym spelling here belongs to a boy.

Overall data confidence 55%

References — Kym — variant of Kim; short for Kimberley

Variations

KimKimberley

Nicknames

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If you like Kym…

Kim— the standard spelling of this exact name

Kip— a like short vintage boy's name

Tim— another one-syllable mid-century boy's name

Kirk— a short crisp boy's name of the same era

Explore names like Kym

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Kym mean?

Kym is a variant of Kim, usually short for Kimberley, an Old English place-name meaning roughly 'wood or clearing'.

How do you pronounce Kym?

It's said KIM /ˈkɪm/ — one syllable.

Is Kym a boy or girl name?

Kim and Kym are unisex; this entry uses Kym as a boy's name.

How popular is Kym?

Kym has always been exceedingly rare as a boy's name, with the name Kim tilting mostly female over time.