Kirby comes from English place-names and surnames meaning a church settlement or village with a church. It has moved into given-name use, including for girls, carrying that sense of a settled, communal place. The meaning is concrete and rooted in geography.

Brisk and friendly, it sits comfortably as a unisex surname-name. Bearers like baseball Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett and the actress Kirby Bliss Blanton show its range across both genders.

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 Hall of Fame baseball player, Minnesota Twins.
★Kirby Bliss Blanton (1990–present)
American actress, known for Project X.

If you like Kirby…

Toby— another English name

Colby— shares the -by ending

Libby— lands in the same popularity range

Kenley— lands in the same popularity range

Kingsley— another unisex pick

Explore names like Kirby

By themeenglish surname-name unisex

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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 girl name.

How popular is Kirby?

In 2024, Kirby ranked #2539 in the U.S. for girls, with 70 births recorded.