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The short answer
Colby is a masculine name used in English. Behind the Name describes it this way: "From an English surname, originally from various place names, derived from the Old Norse byname Koli (meaning ‘coal, dark’) and býr ‘farm, settlement’. As a given name, its popularity spiked in the United States and Canada in 2001 when Colby Donaldson (1974-) appeared on the reality television show Survivor." It ranked #615 for boys in the United States in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
According to Behind the Name, from an English surname, originally from various place names, derived from the Old Norse byname Koli (meaning ‘coal, dark’) and býr ‘farm, settlement’. As a given name, its popularity spiked in the United States and Canada in 2001 when Colby Donaldson (1974-) appeared on the reality television show Survivor. The entry lists its usage as English.
Editorial confidence: likely
Popularity
Colby ranked #615 for boys in the United States in 2025. The figure comes from the Social Security Administration's national file for that year.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #615 | ssa-2025 |
If you like this name
Names that Behind the Name files under the same origin (English) and that sit near Colby in the 2025 American rankings.
Similar by origin
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Colby mean?
Behind the Name does not give Colby a one-word meaning. It describes the name as follows: from an English surname, originally from various place names.
Is Colby a popular name?
Colby ranked #615 for boys in the United States in 2025. (Social Security Administration data).
Is Colby a boy's or a girl's name?
In the 2025 SSA data Colby appears in the boys' list; Behind the Name labels it masculine.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Colby — supports meaning, usage, pronunciation, variants.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
