Find out how popular the last name Corby is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Corby.

Corby, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Corby surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Corby in America

Corby is the 14223rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Corby surname appeared 2,109 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Corby.

We can also compare 2010 data for Corby to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Corby

The surname Corby has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period around the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word 'corf,' meaning a small woven basket or hamper. The earliest recorded spelling of the name was found in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1196, where it appeared as "William de Corfby."

Corby is also thought to be a locational surname, referring to individuals who hailed from the town of Corby in Northamptonshire. The town's name itself is believed to have been derived from the Old English words "croh" and "by," meaning a crooked settlement or village.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Corby surname was William de Corby, who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines records for Northamptonshire in 1279. These records were legal documents that recorded the transfer of land ownership and property transactions.

In the 14th century, the Corby surname appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire in 1332, where a John de Corby was listed as a taxpayer. The Subsidy Rolls were tax records compiled by the English government to collect revenue for military campaigns and other expenses.

Another notable bearer of the Corby name was Sir John Corby, who lived during the reign of King Henry VIII in the 16th century. Sir John was a prominent landowner and Member of Parliament for Northamptonshire in 1542.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, a Captain Thomas Corby fought on the Parliamentarian side and was mentioned in several historical accounts of the conflict.

In the 18th century, the Corby surname was associated with the mining industry in Northamptonshire. Thomas Corby, born in 1745, was a prominent mine owner and operator in the region.

As the Industrial Revolution took hold in the 19th century, the town of Corby became a hub of steel production and manufacturing. William Corby, born in 1820, was a notable figure in the town's steel industry and instrumental in its growth and development.

Throughout its history, the Corby surname has maintained strong ties to its English origins, particularly in the county of Northamptonshire and the town that bears its name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Corby

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Corby.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Corby was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Corby has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

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!