Colby is an English surname and place name of Old Norse origin that means "Koli's farm" or, by a popular reading, "coal town". In America the name is best known from Colby cheese, first made in Colby, Wisconsin, and from Colby Donaldson of the early seasons of Survivor. Colby ranked number 234 in 2000, peaked at number 99 in 2001, its only year in the top 100, and has drifted to number 615 in 2025.