Kime History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Kime is one of the thousands of new names that the Norman Conquest brought to England in 1066. The Kime family lived in Lincolnshire. The surname comes from one of two places in Lincolnshire which bear the name Kyme: South Kyme and North Kyme, both in the vicinity of Tattershall. 1

Early Origins of the Kime family

The surname Kime was first found in Lincolnshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Kestevan. At the time of the taking of the Domesday Book census in 1086 initiated by Duke William of Normandy after his conquest of England in 1066, the holdings are not shown but later, within the next century, it was recorded as the Honour of Kymes. 2

"This parish, which is situated on that part of the Sleaford navigation called Kyme Eau, derived its name from the Kyme family, who were barons by tenure and writ in the reign of Stephen, and had a seat here, mentioned by Leland as a 'goodly house and park,' of which only the tower now remains." 1

Sir William, the founder of the family, also founded the Priory of Bolinton about 1135. "The Kymes assumed the surname from a fair lordship, the principal place of their residence in Kesteven. " 3

Sir Philip de Kyme was the first officially recorded, succeeded by his son Sir William de Kyme. Sir Philip was Baron Kyme, Lord of the Manor, and was summoned to Parliament in 1295-1313 to represent Lincolnshire. Sir William was summoned to Parliament in 1323-1336.

Early History of the Kime family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kime research. Another 131 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1100, 1160, 1412, 1413, 1414, 1420, 1422, 1427, 1428, 1431, 1433, 1455, 1463 and 1530 are included under the topic Early Kime History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kime Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Kimes, Kymes, Kyme, Kime and others.

Early Notables of the Kime family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Gilbert Kymer (died 1463), an early English educator and physician, Dean of Salisbury, Chancellor of the University of Oxford. was educated at Durham College, on the site of which the present Trinity College stands. He graduated as master of arts and philosophy, bachelor of laws, and doctor of medicine previously to 1420 (Tanner). In 1412-1413 he served the office of proctor, and from 1412 to 1414 was principal of Hart Hall. On 16 Dec. 1420, being still a layman, he was presented to the living of Lutterworth, Leicestershire, by William, lord Ferrers...
Another 99 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kime Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kime Ranking

In the United States, the name Kime is the 16,873^rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Kime migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Kime or a variant listed above:

Kime Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Valentine Kime, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1765 5

Kime Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Michael Kime, aged 28, who landed in America, in 1903
John J. Kime, aged 29, who settled in Philadelphia, in 1916
Chow Kime, aged 20, who settled in America, in 1921

Kime migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Kime Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. George W. Kime, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Himalaya" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 10th February 1867 6
Miss Percy Kime, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Himalaya" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 10th February 1867 6
Miss Elizabeth N. Kime, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Himalaya" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 10th February 1867 6
Mr. Henry W. Kime, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Himalaya" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 10th February 1867 6
Miss Elizabeth M. Kime, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Himalaya" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 10th February 1867 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Kime (post 1700) +

John William Kime (1934-2006), United States Coast Guard admiral, 19th Commandant of the United States Coast Guard (1990 to 1994)
Harold Lee Kime (1898-1939), American Major League Baseball pitcher
Jamie Kime, American guitarist
Geoff Kime, English-born, Australian darts player
Robert Kime (1946-2022), British interior decorator who worked on the homes of Prince Charles, Daphne Guinness, the Duke of Beaufort and others

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html