Colby

Gender: Boy
Say it: KOL-bee
Origin: Old Norse
UK rank, 2025: #230 for boys
US rank, 2025: #615 for boys

Colby is a boys' name of Old Norse origin, meaning “Koli's farmstead”. In 2025 it ranked 230th for boys in the UK (245 babies) and 615th for boys in the US (455 babies).

What does Colby mean?

Old Norse: English place name from Old Norse Koli, a personal name, and byr, farm

“Koli's farmstead”

From English place names such as Colby in Norfolk and Cumbria; Colby cheese is named after a town in Wisconsin.

Is Colby a girl's or a boy's name?

Colby is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 245 boys in the UK and 60 girls and 455 boys in the US.

How popular is Colby in the UK?

Rank in 2025: #230among boys
Babies in 2025: 245about 1 in 1,200 boys
Five-year trend: Risingup 57% in five years
Same name in a class: 1.1%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 245 boys in the UK were named Colby, making it the 230th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 277th. Its busiest year was 2024, with 256 boys.

Half of all the boys named Colby in the UK since 1996 were born between 2011 and 2023, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 264 boys in the UK were given Colby or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #219, up from #230 for this spelling alone.

Colby 245
Colbie 19

Girls were 23% of the babies named Colby in the UK in 1996, and 1% in 2024.

Among boys in 2025, it was 224th in England and Wales, 278th in Scotland and 199th in Northern Ireland.

1996Busiest: 256 in 20242025

Colby in the UK, year by year

Year	Boys	Rank
2025	245	#230
2024	256	#218
2023	251	#219
2022	192	#271
2021	156	#332
2020	186	#277
2019	174	#315
2018	118	#407
2017	80	#544
2016	61	#648
2015	96	#470
2014	107	#428
2013	106	#437
2012	83	#511
2011	61	#625
2010	88	#468
2009	72	#534
2008	55	#633
2007	46	#687
2006	61	#540
2005	50	#590
2004	41	#649
2003	54	#499
2002	58	#436
2001	37	#576
2000	30	#665
1999	39	#557
1998	16	#980
1997	23	#760
1996	17	#897

How popular is Colby in the US?

Rank in 2025: #615among boys
Babies in 2025: 455about 1 in 3,800 boys
Five-year trend: Steadyup 5% in five years
Same name in a class: under 1%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 455 boys in the US were named Colby, making it the 615th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 618th. Its busiest year was 2001, with 3,859 boys. It first appears in the records in 1888. 60 girls were also named Colby in 2025 (2,822nd for girls).

Half of all the boys named Colby in the US since 1880 were born between 1992 and 2007, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 462 boys in the US were given Colby or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #589, up from #615 for this spelling alone.

Colby 455
Colbie 7

Girls were 26% of the babies named Colby in the US in 1952, and 12% in 2025.

1888Busiest: 3,859 in 20012025

Colby in the US, year by year

Year	Boys	Rank
2025	455	#615
2024	490	#583
2023	467	#607
2022	469	#600
2021	420	#651
2020	439	#618
2019	447	#612
2018	459	#597
2017	465	#584
2016	558	#529
2015	665	#456
2014	717	#427
2013	746	#400
2012	909	#341
2011	1,026	#314
2010	1,207	#280
2009	1,152	#285
2008	1,256	#273
2007	1,221	#283
2006	1,272	#272
2005	1,603	#220
2004	2,066	#185
2003	2,170	#181
2002	3,118	#125
2001	3,859	#99
2000	1,465	#234
1999	1,507	#224
1998	1,456	#220
1997	1,357	#229
1996	1,344	#225
1995	1,411	#209
1994	1,449	#200
1993	1,519	#200
1992	1,574	#197
1991	1,515	#202
1990	1,129	#245
1989	1,032	#250
1988	922	#255
1987	870	#257
1986	891	#253
1985	715	#286
1984	759	#276
1983	656	#300
1982	494	#360
1981	242	#539
1980	262	#531
1979	298	#478
1978	289	#479
1977	298	#467
1976	320	#432
1975	350	#413
1974	330	#435
1973	309	#445
1972	209	#551
1971	209	#559
1970	142	#695
1969	83	#841
1968	74	#844
1967	42	#1,150
1966	38	#1,215
1965	32	#1,359
1964	29	#1,461
1963	33	#1,353
1962	26	#1,545
1961	41	#1,232
1960	32	#1,399
1959	29	#1,466
1958	22	#1,676
1957	31	#1,410
1956	28	#1,479
1955	25	#1,537
1954	19	#1,761
1953	17	#1,899
1952	26	#1,484
1951	14	#2,054
1950	14	#2,018
1949	24	#1,500
1948	25	#1,459
1947	17	#1,849
1946	8	#2,689
1945	15	#1,771
1944	16	#1,737
1943	10	#2,404
1942	9	#2,522
1941	7	#2,871
1940	6	#3,130
1939	9	#2,449
1938	10	#2,326
1937	7	#2,905
1936	7	#2,853
1935	10	#2,396
1934	6	#3,275
1933	6	#3,267
1932	5	#3,774
1931	5	#3,761
1930	8	#3,020
1929	5	#3,957
1928	9	#2,842
1927	10	#2,702
1926	8	#3,137
1925	8	#3,153
1924	9	#3,022
1923	7	#3,465
1922	8	#3,250
1921	13	#2,375
1920	13	#2,335
1919	8	#3,114
1918	7	#3,367
1917	9	#2,731
1916	8	#2,925
1915	0	–
1914	0	–
1913	0	–
1912	0	–
1911	0	–
1910	0	–
1909	0	–
1908	0	–
1907	0	–
1906	0	–
1905	0	–
1904	0	–
1903	0	–
1902	0	–
1901	0	–
1900	0	–
1899	0	–
1898	0	–
1897	0	–
1896	0	–
1895	0	–
1894	0	–
1893	0	–
1892	0	–
1891	0	–
1890	0	–
1889	0	–
1888	5	#1,030

Names like Colby

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Cody Caleb Zachary Brody Ali Rory Casey Sonny Lenny Hunter Cooper Remy

Other spellings of Colby

Colbie

Names related to Colby

Kolby Coleby Colbey Colbi Colbe

More Old Norse names

Freya Ronnie Ralph Eric Astrid Rafe Odin Ralphie Erik Freyja Erick Bo Ronald Bjorn Erica Raife

Every Old Norse name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Colby: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/colby, updated 20 October 2026.