Show ContentsKirby History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Kirby came to England with the ancestors of the Kirby family in the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Kirby family lived at Kirkby in Furness. The name Kirkby means village with a church.

Early Origins of the Kirby family

The surname Kirby was first found in Lancashire. One of the first recorded references to the name was John Kirkby (died 26 March 1290,) an English ecclesiastic and statesman. "John de Kirkeby, [was] Bishop of Ely in 1286, and founder of Ely Palace, Holborn." [1] He acted as keeper of the great seal during the frequent absences of the chancellor, Robert Burnell, during the reign of Henry III. He was Lord Treasurer from January 1284 to his death. On 26 July 1286, he was elected Bishop of Ely, a post he held until his death.

Another John de Kirkby (d. 1352) was Bishop of Carlisle, an Augustinian canon at Carlisle and later prior of the house.

Early History of the Kirby family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kirby research. Another 128 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1548, 1625, 1634, 1649, 1658, 1661, 1681, 1690, 1693, 1702, 1703, 1708, 1709, 1753 and 1816 are included under the topic Early Kirby History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kirby Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Kirby are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Kirby include Kirkby, Kirby, Kerribly, Kerwick, O'Kerwick and many more.

Early Notables of the Kirby family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • Thomas Kirkby, rector of the church of St. Michael in Aughton, Lancashire in 1548 [2]; John Kirby (1690-1753), an English land surveyor and topographer, best known for his book The Suffolk Travelle...
  • George Kirbye (died 1634), was an early English musician born at Bury St. Edmunds, the Royal College of Music hold old manuscript copies of twenty-six of his madrigals; John Kirby (1690-1753), as a Su...

Kirby World Ranking

In the United States, the name Kirby is the 534th most popular surname with an estimated 54,714 people with that name. [3] However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Kirby is ranked the 400th most popular surname with an estimated 117 people with that name. [4] And in Australia, the name Kirby is the 541st popular surname with an estimated 7,160 people with that name. [5] The United Kingdom ranks Kirby as 374th with 16,980 people. [6]

Ireland Migration of the Kirby family to Ireland

Some of the Kirby family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Kirby migration to the United States +

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Kirby, or a variant listed above:

Kirby Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Richard Kirby, who arrived in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1637 [7]
  • William Kirby, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1647 [7]
  • James Kirby, who settled in Virginia in 1651 along with Humphrey and Alice his wife
  • Hump Kirby, who landed in Virginia in 1651 [7]
  • Ann Kirby, who arrived in Virginia in 1655 [7]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Kirby Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • William Kirby, who settled in Boston in 1767
  • James Kirby, who landed in Richmond, Va in 1794 [7]
Kirby Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Mary Ann Kirby, who arrived in New York, NY in 1811 [7]
  • Cornelius, Mary Ann, and Eliza Kirby, who immigrated to New York in 1811
  • Eliza Kirby, who landed in New York, NY in 1811 [7]
  • Cornelius Kirby, who arrived in New York, NY in 1811 [7]
  • John Kirby, aged 33, who landed in New York in 1812 [7]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Kirby migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Kirby Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Thomas Kirby, who settled in Nova Scotia in 1814
  • Thomas Kirby, who immigrated to Saint John, New Brunswick in 1846
  • William Kirby, who immigrated to New Brunswick in 1847
  • Mrs. Elizabeth Kirby, aged 48 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Erin's Queen" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle on 17th September 1847 [8]
  • Mr. James Kirby, aged 47 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Erin's Queen" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle on 21st July 1847 [8]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Kirby migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Kirby Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Matthew Kirby, British Convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Earl St Vincent" on 6th April 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [9]
  • John Kirby, English convict from Middlesex, who was transported aboard the "Albion" on May 17, 1823, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia [10]
  • Mr. George Henry Kirby, English convict who was convicted in Surrey, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Florentia" on 14th August 1827, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [11]
  • Mr. John Kirby, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for life, transported aboard the "Florentia" on 14th August 1827, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [11]
  • Mr. George Kirby, English convict who was convicted in Essex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Aurora" on 3rd November 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [12]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Kirby migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Kirby Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Miss Kirby, Australian settler travelling from Sydney aboard the ship "Deborah" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand in 1842 [13]
  • John Kirby, aged 24, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bebington" in 1872
  • James Kirby, aged 21, a farm labourer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Assaye" in 1874 [13]
  • Mr. James Kirby, British settler travelling from London, UK with 1 child aboard the ship "Assaye" arriving in Auckland, North Island, New Zealand on 26th December 1874 [13]
  • Johanna Kirby, aged 20, a housemaid, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Salisbury" in 1874
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

West Indies Kirby 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. [14]
Kirby Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Thomas Kirby, who settled in Barbados in 1663 along with Rebecca and Henry

Contemporary Notables of the name Kirby (post 1700) +

  • Jack Kirby (1917-1994), born Jacob Kurtzberg, American comic book artist, writer and editor, creator of Captain America and Marvel Comics, eponym of the Jack Kirby Awards and Jack Kirby Hall of Fame
  • Bruno Kirby (1928-2021), born Bruno Giovanni Quidaciolu, Jr., American film and television actor, best known for his roles in City Slickers, When Harry Met Sally..., Good Morning, Vietnam, The Godfather Part II, and Donnie Brasco
  • John Joseph Kirby Jr. (1939-2019), American attorney, best known for his successful defense for Nintendo of the character of Donkey Kong in 1984; Nintendo subsequently named the character Kirby after him
  • William Fosgate Kirby (1867-1934), American Democratic Party politician, United States Senator from Arkansas (1916 to 1921)
  • Steve T. Kirby (b. 1952), American politician, the 35th Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota
  • George Kirby (1923-1995), American comedian, singer, and actor
  • Homer Durward Kirby (1911-2000), American television host and announcer, best remembered for his work on The Garry Moore Show in the 1950s, and Candid Camera
  • Charles Kirk Kirby (1826-1910), American architect in Boston, Massachusetts
  • Stuart Kirby (b. 1981), American race car driver
  • Jim Kirby (1884-1971), Scottish-born, American inventor of the Kirby vacuum cleaner
  • ... (Another 22 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Arrow Air Flight 1285
  • Mr. Thomas James Kirby (1949-1985), American Staff Sergeant from Salem, Virginia, USA who died in the Arrow Air Flight 1285 crash [15]
Halifax Explosion
  • Mr. James Thomas  Kirby (1862-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) [16]
  • Mr. Samuel M.  Kirby (1867-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) [16]
  • Mr. Walter Norman  Kirby (1876-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) [16]
HMS Cornwall
  • Charrington   Cecil Kirby (d. 1942), British Lieutenant Surgeon aboard the HMS Cornwall when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he died in the sinking [17]
HMS Prince of Wales
  • Mr. George E Kirby, British Boy, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking [18]
HMS Repulse
  • Mr. Frank Kirby, British Able Bodied Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking [19]


Suggested Readings for the name Kirby +

  • Colonial Settlers and English Adventurers by Noel Currier Briggs.
  • Tidewater Ancestors by Louise Niemeyer Fontaine.

  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. 'Townships: Scarisbrick', in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 3, ed. William Farrer and J Brownbill (London, 1907), pp. 265-276. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol3/pp265-276 [accessed 21 January 2017].
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
  5. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  6. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  7. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  8. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 38)
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 10th September 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-st-vincent
  10. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Albion voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1823 with 200 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/albion/1823
  11. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/florentia
  12. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th August 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/aurora
  13. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  15. American War Memorials - Flight 1285. (Retrieved 2016, August 24) . Retrieved from http://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/monument_details.php?SiteID=317&MemID=550
  16. Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
  17. Force Z Survivors Crew List HMS Cornwall (Retrieved 2018, February 13th) - Retrieved from https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listcornwallcrew.html#A
  18. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
  19. HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook