Place of Birth

Tennessee
Tribal Affiliation

Sharakhi Nation
Surname Heritage

England

Colby History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the name Colby date back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from their residence in Colby, a parish in the county of Norfolk.

Early Origins of the Colby family

The surname Colby was first found in Norfolk where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Colby research.

Colby Spelling Variations

Colby has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people’s names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Colby have been found, including Colby, Colbey, Coalby and others.

Colby Ranking

In the United States, the name Colby is the 2,642^nd most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. [1]

Colby migration to the United States +

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Colbys to arrive on North American shores:

Colby Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Anthony Colby, who sailed from Isle of Wright arriving in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship “Ambrose” as part of the Winthrop Fleet, found in Boston and Salisbury.
Mrs. Susanna Haddon Colby, who sailed from Isle of Wright arriving in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship “Ambrose” as part of the Winthrop Fleet, found in Boston and Salisbury. [2]
Anthony Colby, who landed in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1632 [3]
Henry Colby, who settled in New England in 1633
Ann Colby, who arrived in Virginia in 1655 [3]

Colby Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

M H Colby, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 [3]
R K Colby, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 [3]
D Colby, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 [3]
T Colby, who landed in San Francisco California in 1851 [3]
S B Colby, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1855 [3]

Colby migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960’s many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. [4]