CORBY
Corby is a surname of British Isles origin that is frequently associated with both locational and occupational derivations. The name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 in the entries for Corby in Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, where it is recorded as Corbi and Corbei respectively. These early forms are explained by the Old Norse personal name Kori combined with the element byr meaning a farm or settlement, yielding a meaning such as “Kori’s farm.” The same locational pattern is evident in Corby, Cumberland, which is recorded as Chorkeby in the 1120 register of the Priory of Wetherhal. In that case the first element is the Old Irish personal name Corc, giving a sense of “Corc’s farm.”
In addition to its geographical usage, the surname is also linked to a descriptive nickname. It is thought to be derived from the Old Norse personal name Kori or the Old English personal name Cofa>, both of which mean “raven.” Initially, Corby would have been applied to a person with dark hair or a dark, mysterious manner reminiscent of the raven, and over time this descriptive name became hereditary.
Other linguistic influences have been proposed. One theory suggests that the name could be a diminutive of the French corb, meaning crow, again pointing to a black or shiny hair feature. A further possibility is that it derives from the Old English corf, meaning “basket.” In this interpretation the surname would have been occupational, identifying a basket maker or seller. This theory explains the early appearance of a Ralph Corby in Huntingdonshire in 1185 and indicates that the name may have persisted among artisans who continued basket weaving into recent times.
Recorded genealogical evidence demonstrates that the name was in use throughout the early modern period. A Robert Corby, son of Thomas Corby, was christened on the 28th of July 1550 at St. Mary Magdalene, Bermondsey. The same parish record also lists Gilbert Corby, son of John Corby, in his christening on the 13th of October 1583. John Corby himself was married to Katheren Pratte on the 14th of April 1570 at St. Giles Cripplegate. The earliest documented spelling is that of Alan de Corby, which appears in the 1273 Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire, during the reign of King Edward I. These records trace the surname from medieval times into the early modern era with remarkable continuity.
Throughout the English Midlands and southern counties such as London, Essex and Kent, the surname remains present, typically with the standard spelling Corby. Variant spellings including Corbie and Corbey have also been observed, although they are considerably less common. The persistence of the name across centuries attests to its robust heritage and to the way in which a simple locational or occupational label can evolve into a lasting family identity.
Typical given names associated with the Corby surname
Male
- Andrew
- Anthony
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Robert
Female
- Ann
- Caren
- Caroline
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Julie
- Linda
- Margaret
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Ruth
- Samantha
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Carby
- Corbi
- Corb
- Corbe
- Corbey
- Careby
- Carbey
- Croby
- Carb
- Carbis
- Carboy
- Cauby
- Corbeau
- Corbie
- Corbin
- Corbit
- Corbo
- Corboy
- Corboz
- Corbu
- Corbyn
- Corbyne
- Corebie
- Cornby
- Corny
- Corroboy
- Corsby
- Crabey
- Craby
- Creaby
- Curb
- Curbey
- Curbis
- Curboy
- Curby
- Garbayo
- Garbey
- Garby
- Garibay
- Garraby
- Garriby
- Gorbey
- Gorby
- Grabby
- Grabey
- Grabowy
- Graby
- Greaby
- Grebby
- Greby
- Greeby
- Gribby
- Groobey
- Grooby
- Grubby
- Grubey
- Gruby
- Karabay
- Karbowy
- Karby
- Kearby
- Keirby
- Kerbey
- Kerby
- Kierby
- Kirbey
- Kirby
- Korb
- Korbey
- Korby
- Kurby
- Quarby
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Corby in...
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Morse
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There are approximately 1,969 people named Corby in the UK. That makes it roughly the 4,255th most common surname in Britain. Around 30 in a million people in Britain are named Corby.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Corby
- Michael Corby - Musician
- Kevin Corby - Cricketer
- Brian Corby - Academic administrator (1929 to 2014)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.