Kilby is an English surname and place-name meaning a farm or settlement, later used as a given name.
Kilby is an English surname and place name meaning a farm or settlement, later used as a given name. That makes it part of a long English tradition of moving location-based family names into personal use. It feels practical, concise, and slightly rustic, with the kind of understated sturdiness common to surnames with agricultural origins.
The name carries a subtle sense of land and habitation. As a given name, Kilby feels uncommon but easy to wear, with a friendly, compact sound. It has enough historical texture to feel established, yet enough rarity to stand apart.
That balance can make it appealing for people drawn to names that seem simple but not ordinary. Kilby sounds like a name with roots in a real place, and that grounded origin remains part of its charm.