The name Darby is a boy's name of Irish, Scandinavian, Norse origin meaning "from the deer estate".

Names that Peaked in 1970

Irish Names

Irish Names for Boys

Norse Names for Boys

5 Letter Boy Names

Names Ending in Y for Boys

Names That Mean Free

Names That Mean Estate

Names That Mean Deer

Two Syllable Names for Boys

Scandinavian Names

Animal Names for Boys

Scandinavian Names for Boys

Norse Names

Names that end in y

Irish Names that Start With D

Scandinavian Names that Start With D

Norse Names that Start With D

Each State's Unique Favorite Name on Nameberry

Spirited and bubbly, but handsome and preppy too, Darby is a surname style choice that fits in well with the likes of Alby and Lennox. 
 
Derived ultimately from Old Norse, as a surname, it likely emerged in reference to the English town Derby (pronounced the same).
 
Darby works particularly well with an O' surname, as in 'Darby O'Gill and the Little People' and it could also be a unisex option (and is now more popular for girls in the US).
 
Patrick Dempsey chose it for one of his twin boys back in 2007.

Best Unique Baby Names

Rare, Unique, and Unusual Boy Names

Last Names as First Names

Names That Mean Freedom or Free

Unisex Names that were traditionally Boy Names

Unisex Irish Names

Unique, Rare, and Uncommon Boy Names (with Meanings and Origins)

Unisex Dog Names

Irish Boy Names (with Meanings)

Darby

Irish

Scandinavian

Norse

Nameberry

Derby

The name Darby is a girl's name of English, Irish, Norse origin meaning "free from envy; from the deer estate".

Names that Peaked in 1995

Norse Names for Girls

Irish Names for Girls

5 Letter Girl Names

Names Ending in Y for Girls

Two Syllable Names for Girls

Girl Dog Names That Start With D

Dog Names That Start With D

Scandinavian Names for Girls

Animal Names for Girls

Once a common boy name in Ireland, the dynamic Darby now has a definite unisex feel. A bit like a mash up between Darcy and Ruby, it appeared in the US Top 1000 in the 90s, peaking in 1995 when it reached #499. It's likely this sudden interest in Darby was owing to the 90s book and film, The Pelican Brief, starring Julia Roberts as a law student called Darby.
 
A name with two separate origins, Darby may be considered English surname, meaning "from the deer estate", ultimately derived from Old Norse elements djúr "animal, deer" and býr" settlement". It would have been traditionally used as a last name for those from the English town of Derby. 
 
Alternatively, the name has Irish roots, and was used as a diminutive for the surname Ó Diarmada, meaning "descendent of Diarmaid", or, if you borrow Diamaid's meaning, "free from envy".
 
Actor Paul Rudd has a daughter named Darby and it has also featured in a Winnie-the-Pooh spin-off called My Friends Tigger & Pooh and in the TV series Love Life in which Anna Kendrick played a Darby. 
 
While Darby feels like it could fit in with modern trends, it has actually been on the decline in the US, with just 50 girls and 10 boys called Darby in a recent year. At its 90s peak, nearly 500 girls were given the name.

Darby

Darby Origin and Meaning

Darby Rank in US Top 1000

Popularity of the name Darby

20 Names Similar to Darby

Famous People Named Darby

The name Darby in Pop Culture

The name Darby in Nameberry Blog Posts

More Lists containing Darby

Advanced Search

Find your type.