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Kirby

♂ Boy

Pronounced KERR-bee /ˈkɜɹ.bi/Medium

Meaning: Church settlementMedium

In 30 seconds: Kirby is an English name meaning 'church settlement.' It moved from surname and place name into use as a given name.
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Origin MediumEnglish
MeaningChurch settlement
U.S. rank (2024)#2578 ↗ Rising
2024 U.S. births52 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1957
Total births (all-time)≈ 14,497

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 195718812024

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

History & Origin

Kirby comes from English roots meaning a church settlement, the kind of name that once marked a village built around its church. It served long as a surname before settling into first-name use. The baseball Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett, who played outfield for the Minnesota Twins, helped fix it as a recognizable American boy's name.

The two crisp syllables feel friendly and unfussy. Actress Kirby Bliss Blanton shows the name reaching beyond its sporting associations.

Did you know? Kirby likely reached first-name use through a surname or place-name route, which gives it that modern borrowed-from-history feel.
Overall data confidence 78%
Behind the Name - Kirby — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

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Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

  • ★Kirby Puckett (1960–2006)
    American MLB Hall of Fame outfielder for Minnesota Twins.
  • ★Kirby Bliss Blanton (1990–present)
    American actress known for Project X.

If you like Kirby…

Kirk— shares the church meaning, from the same northern English and Scots word

Frequently Asked

What does the name Kirby mean?

Kirby is usually explained as meaning 'church settlement' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Kirby?

It's commonly said KERR-bee /ˈkɜɹ.bi/.

Is Kirby a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Kirby is used as a boy name.

How popular is Kirby?

In 2024, Kirby ranked #2578 in the U.S. for boys, with 52 births recorded.