Kirby
Kirby is a girl's name of English origin.
Meaning
Church settlement or settlement near a church.
Origin and history
Kirby is a unisex name derived from an English surname of Old Norse origin. It traditionally means 'church settlement', combining the words for church and village. Though more commonly used for boys historically, it has been given to girls in the U.S. as a distinctive, surname-as-given-name option.
Popularity in the United States
3,963 babies in the United States have been named Kirby since 1880. It ranks #2802 all-time. Among babies born since 2020 it ranks #1748.
States where it is most popular
- TX (31.9 %)
- CA (9.6 %)
- TN (6.9 %)
- IL (6.4 %)
- NC (4.1 %)
Trends by decade
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880-1890 | 0 |
| 1890-1900 | 0 |
| 1900-1910 | 0 |
| 1910-1920 | 8 |
| 1920-1930 | 11 |
| 1930-1940 | 15 |
| 1940-1950 | 101 |
| 1950-1960 | 121 |
| 1960-1970 | 108 |
| 1970-1980 | 85 |
| 1980-1990 | 1,464 |
| 1990-2000 | 1,113 |
| 2000-2010 | 275 |
| 2010-2019 | 309 |
| 2020-2029 | 353 |
Famous people named Kirby
- Kirby Puckett: baseball player, athlete
- Kirby Howell-Baptiste: actress
Fun facts
- The name stems from the Old Norse elements 'kirkja' (church) and 'býr' (settlement or village).
- Like many unisex names, Kirby originated as an English place-based family name before being adopted as a given name.