Wilby

See also: wiłby

English

Etymology

Various origins:

• The village in Norfolk is named with Old English welig (“willow”) + Old Norse bý (“farmstead”).
• The village in Northamptonshire is named with the Old Norse personal name Villi + bý (“farmstead”).
• The village in Suffolk is named with Old English welig (“willow”) + bēag (“ring, circle”).

Proper noun

Wilby (countable and uncountable, plural Wilbys)

1. (uncountable) A placename:
   1. A village in Quidenham parish, Breckland district, Norfolk, England (OS grid ref TM0389).
   2. A village and civil parish in North Northamptonshire, Northamptonshire, England (OS grid ref SP8666).
   3. A village and civil parish in Mid Suffolk district, Suffolk, England (OS grid ref TM2472).
   4. A town in the Shire of Moira, Victoria, Australia.
   5. An unincorporated community in Butler County, Missouri, United States.
2. (countable) A habitational surname, from any of the three English villages.

Statistics

• According to the 2010 United States Census, Wilby is the 63068^th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 317 individuals. Wilby is most common among White (88.96%) individuals.

Further reading

• Hanks, Patrick, editor (2003), “Wilby”, in Dictionary of American Family Names, volume 3, New York: Oxford University Press, →ISBN.