An old English name with even older Nordic roots. It's derived from the
Old Norse word "Kolbyr", which means "
cold settlement". Also a kind of cheese, but
don't bother joking about it with someone named Colby. I guarantee you they've already heard it.
You might not want to name your kid this if you live in the southern
U.S. People there have a habit of saying "Koby" instead, and it might drive them nuts.