National Colby Day – December 25, 2024

History of National Colby Day

The name Colby has a long history that goes back to Old Norse. ‘Kol’ means coal or charcoal, while ‘byr’ refers to settlement. When the two are combined, the word signifies a village or farmstead belonging to “Koli” — a man with a dark-complexioned face. The name Koli has Viking roots, which probably explains the emphasis on a man’s rugged face, weather-beaten from the elements.

Colby started as the name of a place and evolved into an Old English surname. Travelers to England will still find towns named Colby scattered across regions such as Norfolk, Lincolnshire, and Westmorland. The origins of Colby as a family name began during the days of Britain’s Anglo-Saxon tribes. People who bore the name lived in Colby, a Norfolk parish. History remembers the Colby line as an ancient family that held titles and land in Norfolk. They were a family older than the Norman conquest and the arrival of Duke William Hastings, or William the Conqueror. It was not uncommon to encounter various spelling variations of Colby (Colbey, Coalby). The numerous changes in spelling reflect the influences of Latin, French, and several other languages on English.

The name appeared outside England after Colby’s descendants migrated to the U.S. To escape the political turmoil in England, families began to board ships sailing for British colonies, particularly North America and Jamaica. These ships were overcrowded, dirty, and riddled with disease, but many took the risk since the rewards were significant — land and freedom from political persecution. Families who survived the passage played a crucial role in the colonies they eventually settled in. Today, Colby is a widely-used name in Canada and the U.S.