Kirby Name Meaning: From Old Norse 'kirkja' meaning church & 'byr' meaning settlement - in other words a village with a church
Name for people from many places in northern England called Kirby or Kirkby. Early records refer to an ecclesiastic by the name of John Kirkby. He frequently acted as keeper of the seal during the reign of Henry 111 & was appointed Bishop of Ely in 1286 - a post he held until his death on 26 March 1290.
Discover how your Kirby ancestors earned their living and spread across the country. Find out more about your family history by using the Free Search box.| Bedfordshire | 0 |
| Buckinghamshire | 181 |
| Berkshire | 0 |
| Cambridgeshire | 136 |
| Channel Islands | 1 |
| Cheshire | 64 |
| Cornwall | 19 |
| Cumberland | 30 |
| Derbyshire | 67 |
| Devon | 29 |
| Dorset | 15 |
| Durham | 251 |
| Essex | 201 |
| Gloucestershire | 178 |
| Hampshire | 191 |
| Herefordshire | 2 |
| Hertfordshire | 153 |
| Huntingdonshire (and Rutland) | 129 |
| Isle of Man | 0 |
| Kent | 278 |
| Lancashire | 846 |
| Leicestershire | 316 |
| Lincolnshire | 221 |
| London | 1,105 |
| Middlesex | 237 |
| Northumberland | 18 |
| Norfolk | 228 |
| Northamptonshire | 181 |
| Nottinghamshire | 51 |
| Oxfordshire | 207 |
| Rutland (and Huntingdonshire) | 129 |
| Shropshire | 33 |
| Suffolk | 125 |
| Somerset | 52 |
| Surrey | 102 |
| Sussex | 113 |
| Staffordshire | 159 |
| Warwickshire | 365 |
| Westmorland | 20 |
| Wiltshire | 66 |
| Worcestershire | 63 |
| Yorkshire | 1,660 |
| Anglesey | 0 |
| Brecknockshire | 2 |
| Cardiganshire | 0 |
| Carnarvonshire | 0 |
| Carmarthenshire | 4 |
| Denbighshire | 3 |
| Flintshire | 4 |
| Glamorgan | 32 |
| Merionethshire | 0 |
| Montgomeryshire | 0 |
| Monmouthshire | 17 |
| Pembrokeshire | 3 |
| Radnorshire | 0 |
| Profession | Census Frequency |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 1,516 |
| Agricultural Labourer | 296 |
| Labourer | 168 |
| Domestic Servant | 90 |
| General Servant | 61 |
| Dress Maker | 57 |
| Farm Servant | 57 |
| Laundress | 53 |
| Servant | 43 |
| House Keeper | 42 |
| Farm Labourer | 37 |
| Cotton Weaver | 37 |
| Annuitant | 36 |
| Blacksmith | 35 |
| Tailor | 35 |
| Shoe Maker | 28 |
| Cook | 27 |
| Gardener | 25 |
| Joiner | 25 |
| General Servant Domestic | 24 |
| Lace Maker | 23 |
| Groom | 23 |
| Charwoman | 23 |
| Porter | 22 |
| Wife Of Above | 21 |
| Name | Census Frequency |
|---|---|
| William Kirby | 5,165 |
| Mary Kirby | 4,685 |
| John Kirby | 4,473 |
| Thomas Kirby | 3,015 |
| Elizabeth Kirby | 2,965 |
| George Kirby | 2,520 |
| Sarah Kirby | 2,491 |
| James Kirby | 2,116 |
| Ann Kirby | 1,768 |
| Henry Kirby | 1,535 |
| Jane Kirby | 1,421 |
| Charles Kirby | 1,396 |
| Joseph Kirby | 1,252 |
| Alice Kirby | 1,211 |
| Ellen Kirby | 1,105 |
| Robert Kirby | 1,093 |
| Annie Kirby | 1,083 |
| Emma Kirby | 975 |
| Edward Kirby | 967 |
| Eliza Kirby | 940 |
| Margaret Kirby | 867 |
| Frederick Kirby | 838 |
| Richard Kirby | 828 |
| Arthur Kirby | 813 |
| Alfred Kirby | 803 |