The Derby surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 5,822 people carried this name — #5,921 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 50,800 people counted. About the same as in 2000 (5,815).

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What the name means

The meaning of the Derby surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Derby’.

An early record he cites: Robertus de Derby, 1379 — Poll Tax, West Riding of Yorkshire.

His entry covers Darby and Derby.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 230 · public domain.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 6 births for the Derby name in 1890.

Most were registered in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 300 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Antrim.”

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 5
Munster 1

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 42 people named Derby.

3 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 4 départements, most often Guadeloupe.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born

Born outside France 3
Guadeloupe 27
La Réunion 10
Paris 1
Tarn-et-Garonne 1

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In print

Derby in American newspapers,
1882–1910.

Newspaper page from The Progressive Farmer And Southern Farm Gazette carrying the name Derby
The Progressive Farmer And Southern Farm Gazette 1910-09-03
Newspaper page from The People And New Hampshire Patriot carrying the name Derby
The People And New Hampshire Patriot 1882-06-01
Newspaper page from The Republican carrying the name Derby
The Republican 1882-05-06

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 3,095 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Derby in Australian newspapers,
1820s–1990s.

12,188 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Derby. The most, 2,083, date from the 1930s. Victoria has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Western Australia, at 1.8 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 3,579
Queensland 2,834
New South Wales 2,074
Western Australia 1,726
Tasmania 1,082
South Australia 746
ACT (Canberra) 122
Northern Territory 5

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Derby.

Who carried it

People named Derby,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Richard Derby
    Richard Derby 1712–1783 · merchant
  • Richard Derby
    Richard Derby 1712–1783 · merchant
  • Ezekiel Hersey Derby
    Ezekiel Hersey Derby 1772–1852
  • Eleanor Foster Coffin
    Eleanor Foster Coffin 1779–1859
  • Martha Coffin Derby
    Martha Coffin Derby 1783–1832 · housewife
  • Winona Bryan d. 1993

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Derby,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States921 records

921 records of the Derby name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 326
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 204
  • Other U.S. records 391
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Paul David Derby

    Born 1943; from Menomonie, Wisconsin. U.S. Marine Corps, frs basic f/a-18 pilot; killed in action 1968 in Quang Ngai, South Vietnam. Buried at Rock Island National Cemetery, Illinois.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Merritt C. Derby

    Born 1916 in New York. Enlisted 1942 at Albany; farmer from Washington County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1992, buried at Gerald B.h. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Anastasia Derby

    Arrived at New York in 1890 aboard the Teutonic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 20; servant. From Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 921 records for Derby in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia75 records

75 records of the Derby name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 45
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 19
  • Other Australian records 11
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Elizabeth Derby

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Lloyds, sailing from London in 1845. Native of Worcestershire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1847.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Robt Derby

    Arrived in Victoria in 1864 aboard the Anne Jane, aged 30; British subject.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Robert Clarence Derby

    Retired of Bendigo, Victoria; died 1993.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 75 records for Derby in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada25 records

25 records of the Derby name in Canada
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 10
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 9
  • Other Canadian records 6
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Kathleen Gwendolyn Derby

    Died 1968; buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.
  2. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Arthur Derby

    Died in service in 1916.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Moses Derby

    Married 1906 in Colchester, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 25 records for Derby in Canada.

Counts: City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

France14 records

14 records of the Derby name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Emile Richard Laurent Derby

    Born 1914 in Capesterre-Belle-Eau; died 2001 in Capesterre-Belle-Eau (Guadeloupe).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Felicite Rosemonde Derby

    Born 1949 in Capesterre-Belle-Eau (Guadeloupe); died 1996 in Cayenne (Guyane).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Gerard Marcel Derby

    Born 1955 in Saint-Claude (Guadeloupe); died 1996 in Paris.

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 14 records for Derby in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

New Zealand2 records

2 records of the Derby name in New Zealand
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Ann Derby

    Died 1919, aged 83; buried at Addington Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record J. Derby

    New Zealand Infantry. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

Netherlands2 records

2 records of the Derby name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 1
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Marvyn Rivalino Edmund Derby

    Died 1971 in 's-Gravenhage.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Wouter Derby

    Baptised in 1602 in Bergen op Zoom.

    Open Archives, West Brabants Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom1 record

1 record of the Derby name in the United Kingdom Stirling Council burial records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Margaret Derby

    Buried in 1905 at Ballengeich Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 76.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Counts: Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Derby.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Derby is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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