4,476 Global KERBY Family Members

KERBY Family History

This ancient surname recorded in several spelling forms including: Kirby, Kirkby, Kirkebye, Kerbey and Kerby, is English. It is of locational origin from one of the numerous places named Kirby or Kirkby, as for example, Kirby le Soken in the county of Essex; Kirby Cane in Norfolk; Monks Kerby in Warwickshire; Kirby Hill in the North Riding of Yorkshire; Kirkby on Bain in Lincolnshire; and Kirkby Lonsdale, in Westmorland. These places, recorded variously as "Chirchebi, Kerkeby and Kirchebi" in the famous Domesday book of 1086 for the above counties, derive from the Northern Middle English word "kirk", meaning a church and ultimately from the Olde Norse word "kirkja," with "byr", meaning a farm or settlement.