Given name & surname · also English
Kolby
“a dark-haired man”
Kolby is used as a given name and a surname. One German interpretation is “a dark-haired man.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One German interpretation is “a dark-haired man.”
Where it comes from
This spelling has been associated with English and German naming traditions.
How it developed
Kolby is used as a form of Colby.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1968. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Kolby through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 13,001
- 11,650 boys · 1,351 girls
- Most popular year
- 2001
- 781 babies
- 2025
- 207
- #1,225 for boys · #3,618 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −6%
- Steady
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 84% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 165 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,225 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 10.3% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 739 in 2001. It also appeared in 42 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (13). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 10,460 as a first name in 2020; 219 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Kolby’s family of names
In English usage, Kolby has a related form in Colby. Kolby is a form of Colby. Kolby has a related form in Kolbi.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 8
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Kolby
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Kolby, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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99% boys · 1% girls
Kush
Kush is a surname from German.
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Kamden
“from the winding valley”
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Brayan
Brayan is a masculine given name from English. It is used in Spanish and Azerbaijani.
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Jagger
“one who carts provisions”
96% boys · 4% girls