indicate the level to which a name has been verified.
Gender Feminine
Usage Literature, English
Meaning & History
From the name of a village on the island of Islay, Scotland, in which the first element is from Gaelic cille meaning "church, cell". It is thought to mean "monastery" or "church of Saint Eithne". The Scottish writer James Hogg used it in his poem 'Kilmeny' (1813) for the female title character. This is also the name of the heroine in Canadian author L. M. Montgomery's novel 'Kilmeny of the Orchard' (1910). It was borne by Australian artist and illustrator Kilmeny Niland (1950-2009), daughter of the writers Ruth Park and Darcy Niland.