Colby first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Colby has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Colby

From an Old English name meaning "coal settlement" or "dark town".

Popularity of Colby by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Colby is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 93% of people named Colby being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 467 male babies and 47 female babies born with the name Colby.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 47 baby girls were named Colby in 2023, despite it being a predominantly male name. We'd love to know why!

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 467 47
2022 468 64
2021 419 55
2020 438 45
2019 447 48
2018 459 42
2017 465 47
2016 555 37
2015 664 45
2014 716 52
2013 744 33
2012 908 48
2011 1,026 57
2010 1,207 66
2009 1,152 72
2008 1,255 70
2007 1,220 68
2006 1,272 44
2005 1,603 54
2004 2,066 71
2003 2,170 85
2002 3,118 119
2001 3,859 120
2000 1,465 155
1999 1,507 138
1998 1,456 88
1997 1,357 90
1996 1,344 102
1995 1,411 108
1994 1,449 142
1993 1,519 134
1992 1,574 155
1991 1,515 124
1990 1,129 129
1989 1,032 105
1988 922 103
1987 870 138
1986 892 124
1985 715 146
1984 758 129
1983 656 82
1982 494 31
1981 242 17
1980 262 31
1979 298 29
1978 289 25
1977 299 41
1976 320 41
1975 350 42
1974 330 40

The history of the first name Colby

The name Colby originated from an Old Norse word "kolbrandr," which translates to "coal-brand" or "coal-burned." This name was likely given to individuals with dark complexions or those who worked with coal or in forges. The name's roots can be traced back to the Viking Age, around the 8th to 11th centuries, when Norse settlers inhabited parts of modern-day England, Scotland, and Ireland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Colby can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript record of the great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Colbrand," referring to a landowner in Norfolk, England.

During the Middle Ages, the name Colby was relatively uncommon but can be found in various historical records, including the Pipe Rolls of Henry II, which document financial transactions in medieval England. One notable bearer of the name was Colby of Ingworth, a 13th-century English landowner and knight mentioned in the Testa de Nevill, a survey of feudal tenure in England.

In the 16th century, the name Colby gained popularity among Puritan families in England and later in the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America was Colby Lampson, who was born in Massachusetts in 1638.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Colby. These include Colby Chew (1839-1917), an American politician and lawyer who served as a United States Representative from Pennsylvania; Colby Cosh (born 1975), a Canadian journalist and writer; Colby College in Waterville, Maine, named after Baptist minister Gardner Colby (1810-1879); and Colby Rasmus (born 1986), an American professional baseball player.

Another famous bearer of the name was Bainbridge Colby (1869-1950), an American lawyer and politician who served as the United States Secretary of State under President Woodrow Wilson from 1920 to 1921.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Colby was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Colby, please contact us.

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Colby first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 31, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/colby-meaning-and-history/.

"Colby first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/colby-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 31 October, 2024

Colby first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/colby-meaning-and-history/.

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