Darby is an English given name with origins dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old Norse word "deor" which means "deer" and the Old English word "by" meaning a village or town. The name likely originated as a surname referring to someone who lived near a deer park or was involved in hunting deer.

In its earliest recorded use as a first name, Darby appeared in the Domesday Book of 1086, a manuscript record of a survey of land ownership and wealth in parts of medieval England. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Darby de Isny, a Norman nobleman mentioned in 12th century records.

The name Darby has connections to religious history as well. Saint Darby was a 7th century Irish monk and missionary who helped spread Christianity in parts of modern-day France and Belgium. His feast day is celebrated on April 11th by some Christian denominations.

Notable individuals named Darby throughout history include Darby Field (c.1610-c.1649), an English-born American settler who is credited with leading the first organized migration from Massachusetts to the Connecticut River Valley in 1639. John Nelson Darby (1800-1882) was an influential Anglo-Irish evangelist and one of the founders of the Plymouth Brethren movement.

Other famous bearers of the name include Darby Crash (1958-1980), the American punk rock singer and songwriter whose real name was Jan Paul Beahm. William John Darby (1801-1854) was a British civil engineer who designed and constructed the first major iron bridge in India, now known as the Darby Bridge.

American football player Darby Moore (1965-2022) played in the NFL for the Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1990s. Darby Stanchfield (born 1971) is an American actress best known for her role as Abby Whelan on the television series Scandal.