Colby
Girl name · #2834 in 2025 · Very rare
In 2025, 60 baby girls were named Colby, placing it at #2834 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #3478, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 30,000 girls born in 2025 was named Colby.
Babies named Colby per year. Source: SSA.
The 75-year story
Colby first appears in the Social Security records in 1950, when 7 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1992, when 155 girls were named Colby — good for #1138 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Colby against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Colby in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Colby is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Colby will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Colby is most common
State-level data for Colby is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Colby
Statistically, parents drawn to Colby tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Kolby, Karly, Carley, Kirby, and Codi.
KolbyKarlyCarleyKirbyCodiDarbyKaseyCarli
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Colby | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 60 | #2822 |
| 2024 | 49 | #3225 |
| 2023 | 47 | #3386 |
| 2022 | 64 | #2689 |
| 2021 | 56 | #2958 |
| 2020 | 45 | #3399 |
| 2019 | 48 | #3272 |
| 2018 | 42 | #3614 |
| 2017 | 47 | #3346 |
| 2016 | 37 | #3996 |
| 2015 | 45 | #3478 |
| 2014 | 52 | #3137 |
| 2013 | 33 | #4336 |
| 2012 | 48 | #3364 |
| 2011 | 57 | #2989 |
| 2010 | 66 | #2691 |
| 2009 | 72 | #2568 |
| 2008 | 70 | #2630 |
| 2007 | 68 | #2684 |
| 2006 | 44 | #3564 |
| 2005 | 54 | #2969 |
| 2004 | 71 | #2396 |
| 2003 | 85 | #2084 |
| 2002 | 119 | #1564 |
| 2001 | 120 | #1540 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Colby a popular girl name?
Colby ranked #2834 among girls in 2025 with 60 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #3478.
When was the name Colby most popular?
Colby peaked in 1992, when 155 American girls received the name (ranked #1138 that year). Since 1992 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Colby?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 30,000 newborn American girls was named Colby. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.