Kolby
Kolby was the 1225th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 165 babies. Its best year was 2001, when it ranked 359th with 739 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 397 places. More babies were named Kolby in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Colby) Koli's farm, or charcoal farm (English place name) · Old Norse, English
- Rank in 2025
- #1,225 boys, down 79 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 165boys
- Girls and boys
- 18% girls, 82% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2001739 babies
- Total since 1880
- 13,001babies recorded
What does the name Kolby mean?
Kolby is a spelling of Colby, pronounced the same way, so it shares Colby's meaning and origin.
Colby is an English place name and surname of Norse origin. Wiktionary explains it as either the Old Norse personal name Koli or kol, charcoal, plus býr, a farm or settlement, so "Koli's farm" or "charcoal farm." There are villages called Colby in Cumbria, Norfolk and the Isle of Man. In the US colby is also the name of a mild cheese, as Wiktionary notes. As a first name it has been used since the 1880s.
kol (Old Norse, “charcoal”)býr (Old Norse, “farm, settlement”)
How sure is this? Probable. Wiktionary gives two options for the first element (personal name or 'charcoal').
Related names: Colbie, Coleby, Kolby.
See also: Scandinavian names, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Colby' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Kolby popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,618 | #1,225 | 42 | 165 |
| 2020 | #5,403 | #1,146 | 23 | 170 |
| 2010 | #4,542 | #684 | 32 | 344 |
| 2000 | #2,691 | #542 | 55 | 396 |
| 1990 | #3,957 | #820 | 26 | 155 |
| 1980 | — | #1,678 | — | 35 |
| 1970 | — | — | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Kolby, counting every spelling?
Kolby is a spelling of Colby, a name family that ranked #484 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,225 for Kolby on its own. Together these spellings went to 626 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colby | 455 | #615 | 2,301 |
| Kolby | 165 | #1,225 | 798 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Kolby?
165 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Kolby (0.05 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Kolby born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 51 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Kolby.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Kolby?
About 11,400 people born in the US named Kolby are alive today, with a median age of 22; half are between 15 and 28. That makes Kolby mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Kolby by state
How common Kolby was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Missouri (2.6×). In 28 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Kolby: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Kolby, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Kolby
What does Kolby mean?
Kolby is a spelling of Colby, which means “Koli's farm, or charcoal farm (English place name)” (Old Norse, English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Kolby?
Kolby was the 1225th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 165 babies. Its best year was 2001, when it ranked 359th with 739 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 397 places. More babies were named Kolby in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Kolby a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 18% girls, 82% boys given the name Kolby in the US.
Where is Kolby most popular?
In 2021–2025, Kolby was most common in Missouri (0.24 per 1,000 boys), followed by Kentucky and Oklahoma.