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Colby

Meaning, origin and pronunciation, with published usage by place and year.

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Meaning

Koli’s settlement, or charcoal settlement, in the surname tradition.

The source gives alternative Old Norse first elements: the personal name Koli or kol, meaning charcoal, with a settlement word. The given name is transferred from the habitational surname; neither alternative is certain for every family.

Origin

Old Norse-linked habitational surname transfer

The entry explicitly records given-name transfer from a habitational surname and gives alternative deeper formations from a personal name Koli or a charcoal word plus settlement. Those alternatives are not turned into one settled literal meaning.

English pronunciation

/ˈkəʊl.bi/; /ˈkoʊl.bi/

UK and US English readings from the entry with explicit given-name transfer; the first vowel is that of go.

Recorded English reading, as published. Accents and preferred pronunciations can differ.

Published name usage

Counts apply only to the exact spelling, place, year and recorded usage shown. Places are separate; these figures are never added into a worldwide total. Missing or suppressed records never mean zero.

Latest published record available for this spelling in each place and recorded usage
PlaceYearRecorded usagePublished birthsRankNotes
Canada2025Girls6 · preliminary30442025 figures are preliminary. Quebec counts below five are randomly imputed by the publisher before national aggregation. Accents are removed in the source; this profile was matched only where the catalog spelling was unambiguous. Unpublished values are unknown, not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Canada2025Boys55 · preliminary5332025 figures are preliminary. Quebec counts below five are randomly imputed by the publisher before national aggregation. Accents are removed in the source; this profile was matched only where the catalog spelling was unambiguous. Unpublished values are unknown, not zero. Rank basis: source published.
England & Wales2024Girls35891Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published.
England & Wales2025Boys222224Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Northern Ireland2025Boys10199Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Scotland2003Girls3667Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Scotland2025Boys13278Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Ireland2025Boys5577Names below three occurrences are unpublished. Accent recording changed in 2018; comparisons across that boundary may not describe the same spelling coverage. Counts refer to registrations in the year. Missing years are unavailable, not zero. Rank basis: source published.
United States2025Girls602822Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: calculated from published counts.
United States2025Boys455615Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: calculated from published counts.

Canada, Ireland and France coverage includes confidently matched existing profiles only; unmatched spellings are awaiting review. French counts are rounded to five.

Sources & notes

Open an entry for its source, credit, licence and full qualifications. Different name traditions remain separate.

Language of use: English

Checked against cited source

Given-name use is documented in the reviewed English dictionary section. This is language-of-use evidence, distinct from historical origin or a bearer’s birth country, and not an exhaustive language list.

Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.

View original source

This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

CC BY-SA 4.0

Meaning: Koli’s settlement, or charcoal settlement, in the surname tradition.

Checked against cited source

The source gives alternative Old Norse first elements: the personal name Koli or kol, meaning charcoal, with a settlement word. The given name is transferred from the habitational surname; neither alternative is certain for every family.

Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.

View original source

This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

CC BY-SA 4.0

Origin: Old Norse-linked habitational surname transfer

Checked against cited source

The entry explicitly records given-name transfer from a habitational surname and gives alternative deeper formations from a personal name Koli or a charcoal word plus settlement. Those alternatives are not turned into one settled literal meaning.

Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.

View original source

This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

CC BY-SA 4.0

English pronunciation: /ˈkəʊl.bi/; /ˈkoʊl.bi/

Checked against cited source

UK and US English readings from the entry with explicit given-name transfer; the first vowel is that of go.

Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.

View original source

This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

CC BY-SA 4.0

Spelling variant: Colbie

Checked against cited source

Relationship explicitly recorded in the reviewed given-name section; spellings remain separate in popularity statistics.

Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.

View original source

This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

CC BY-SA 4.0

Spelling variant: Kolby

Checked against cited source

Relationship explicitly recorded in the reviewed given-name section; spellings remain separate in popularity statistics.

Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.

View original source

This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

CC BY-SA 4.0

country_CA

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country_IE

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Source: NISRA : Website: www.nisra.gov.uk

Attribution: Source: NISRA : Website: www.nisra.gov.uk

License: Open Government Licence v3.0

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(C) Crown copyright. Data supplied by National Records of Scotland.

Attribution: (C) Crown copyright. Data supplied by National Records of Scotland.

License: Open Government Licence v3.0

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Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence

Attribution: Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence

License: Open Government Licence v3.0

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Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence

Attribution: Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence

License: Open Government Licence v3.0

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U.S. Social Security Administration

Attribution: U.S. Social Security Administration

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Statistics Canada, Table 17-10-0147-01, 1991–2025, released 23 September 2026.

Credit: Statistics Canada, Table 17-10-0147-01, 1991–2025, released 23 September 2026.

License: Statistics Canada Open Licence

Adaptation: Adapted from Statistics Canada, First names at birth by sex at birth, selected indicators, Table 17-10-0147-01, reference years 1991–2025. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.

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Central Statistics Office, Ireland, VSA50 and VSA60, updated 27 February 2026.

Credit: Central Statistics Office, Ireland, VSA50 and VSA60, updated 27 February 2026.

License: CC BY 4.0

Adaptation: Adapted by Rare Baby Names: joined the published count and rank indicators and matched unambiguous existing spellings. Source values retained.

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