Darby

DAHR-bee

Irish, English, Norse

"free from envy; from the deer estate"

Darby Origin and Meaning

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

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 Rank in US Top 1000

# 951 in the US

Darby Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

# 989 on Nameberry

Popularity of the name Darby

• 989 Nameberry 2025
• 491 Unisex 2023

20 Names Similar to Darby

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Darby.

• Murphy
• Barrett
• Elliette
• Joss
• Joey
• Livie
• Lenny
• Chandler
• Wesley
• Winslow
• Clarke
• Landry
• Campbell
• Elouise
• Callahan
• Tate
• Colby
• Kirby
• Brady
• Leni

Famous People Named Darby

• Darby Stanchfield American actress
• Darby Anne Walker American actress
• Darby Rudd (b. 2010) daughter of American actor Paul Rudd
• Darby Ward daughter of former footballer Ashley Ward and RHOC star Dawn Ward

The name Darby in Pop Culture

• Darby Shaw main character in "The Pelican Brief"
• Darby character on TV's "Second Noah"
• Darby human character on animated series "My Friends Tigger and Pooh"
• Darby Carter main character in the show "Love Life"