Kim’s Notebook: Personalized Journal for Kim
A simple, pretty journal made for one person: Kim. Her name is set in script above pink watercolor apple blossom on the cover.
- 160 lined pages
- 6" x 9" paperback
- Watercolor apple blossom cover with "Kim's Notebook" on the front
- Printed and shipped by Amazon
What does the name Kim mean?
Kim is older than it looks. Behind the Name says it is usually treated today as a short form of Kimberly, but it predates Kimberly as a given name: Rudyard Kipling used it for the hero of his novel Kim (1901), where it was short for Kimball. In Edna Ferber’s novel Show Boat (1926), a baby girl born on the Mississippi River is named Kim from the initials of three states. Behind the Name says actresses Kim Hunter and Kim Novak, who both took it as a stage name, popularized it in America.
Kim nicknames and other forms
Behind the Name lists Kimmie and Kimmy as English diminutives, and Kimber, Kimbra and Kym as variants. Wikipedia adds that Kim itself is a nickname for Kimberly, Kimberley, Kimber, Kimball and the Japanese Kimiko. Kimmie is the playful version; Kym is the stylish spelling.
Some famous Kims
Kim Novak, born Marilyn Novak, starred in Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo (1958), now recognized as one of the greatest films ever made. Kim Hunter, born Janet Cole, created the role of Stella in A Streetcar Named Desire on Broadway and won an Academy Award when she reprised it on film in 1951; she also played the chimpanzee Zira in Planet of the Apes. And Belgian tennis star Kim Clijsters won four Grand Slam singles titles and, after her comeback, became the first mother to be ranked world No. 1.
Kim through the decades
Kim had one big decade. US Social Security data has it entering the girls’ top 200 at 78th in the 1950s and soaring to 43rd in the 1960s, when more than 94,000 American girls were named Kim, before dropping to 141st in the 1970s as Kimberly took over. Wikipedia notes that from the 1900s to the 1960s Kim was mainly given to boys, so the girls’ boom was fast. Most Kims are now in their 50s and 60s.
Did you know?
In Kipling’s novel, Kim is a boy. Wikipedia says the hero is Kimball O’Hara, a fictional street urchin, and that Kim was mainly a boys’ name for decades. It has also had unusual uses: Wikipedia says in early Soviet Russia it was read as an acronym for the Young Communist International, and in Scandinavia Kim is a common short form of Joakim.
Gift ideas for a Kim
- For a movie buff. A classic-film watch list, starting with Vertigo.
- For a tennis fan. Match notes, in honor of Kim Clijsters.
- For a 60th birthday. Kim peaked in the 1960s.
- For a book lover. Reading notes for a name with a Kipling novel.
Who is it for and how she can use it
Whether Kim is eight or eighty, a 6" x 9" notebook is a comfortable size: big enough to write in properly, slim enough to carry. The 160 lined pages don’t come with a set layout, so she decides what it’s for. Journal, planner, class notes, recipes, travel log or doodle book all work. And with her name on the cover, nobody will mistake it for theirs.
Why personalized works
Personalized gifts show you thought about the person, not just the occasion. A notebook with Kim on the cover is affordable, useful every day and still feels special. It’s also a safe choice when you’re not sure of someone’s style, because everyone needs somewhere to write things down.
Frequently asked questions
How big is Kim’s Notebook? It’s 6" x 9" (about 15.2 x 22.9 cm), with 160 lined pages in a paperback cover.
Where do I buy it? On Amazon. It’s printed on demand and shipped by Amazon, so delivery and returns go through your usual Amazon account.
Do you have other names? Plenty. If you’re shopping for more than one person, see all name notebooks and our personalized name notebooks page.
Check out Kim's Notebook on Amazon
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Kim's Notebook is published by Black Stag Publishing.