Colby as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Colby

What is the meaning of the name Colby ?

The baby name Colby is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced KOL-bee; IPA: /ˈkɒlbi/ (UK), /ˈkɑːlbi/ (US).

Colby is Norse in Origin.

Colby is an English surname-turned-given name rooted in Old Norse. It comes from several English place-names established by Scandinavian settlers, combining the personal name Koli (from kol, “coal, black”) with býr, “farm, settlement.” The sense is “Koli’s farm” or, by extension, “dark/dusky settlement.” Places called Colby in Norfolk, Lincolnshire, and Cumbria preserve this origin.

Found in medieval records as a toponymic surname, Colby began rising in the United States and Canada as a first name in the late 20th century, peaking in the 1990s and early 2000s. It is used for all genders but leans masculine; the spelling Colbie has trended feminine. Other variants include Kolby, Kolbie, and the rarer Colbey, with Cole or Coby sometimes used as short forms. Modern associations range from athletes and entertainers to the American Colby cheese (named for Colby, Wisconsin), which has kept the name familiar.