Kirby Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Kirby last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Kirby coat of arms for you.
Meaning and origin of the Kirby last name
Meaning of the Kirby last name: church settlement. Kirby is an English surname from places called Kirby or Kirkby, from Old Norse words for "church" and "village". These place-names mark areas of Viking settlement, such as Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Leicestershire. A curious detail: in Ireland the same last name was adopted as an English form of a Gaelic name in Limerick and Kerry, so not every Kirby has Viking roots.
Arms associated with the Kirby name
English heraldry loves puns, choosing figures that echo the sound of a name, and that playful custom runs through many coats of arms linked with the Kirby name.
Get your full Kirby family history
This is only a glimpse of the Kirby story. The full Kirby history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Kirby coat of arms. Get the full Kirby report.
Kirby name FAQ
What does the Kirby name mean?
Church settlement. Common variants include Kirkby, Kerby, Kirkbey.
Where does the Kirby surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Ireland and Australia.
Is there a Kirby coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Kirby coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); MacLysaght, The Surnames of Ireland.