Kirby is a surname of Norse or Irish origin. The English surname of Norse origin is from the Old Norse "kirkja" + "býr", meaning "church" + "settlement". (Names ending in 'by' are typically Nordic, as seen in such Swedish place names as Visby, Hellingsby, etc.) The Irish surname is an anglicisation of Ó Ciarmhaic, which also takes the form Kerwick,
Fictional characters
The Kirby family in the play You Can't Take It with You
Colonel Mike Kirby in the 1968 film The Green Berets, played by John Wayne
Paul, Amanda and Eric Kirby, a family in the 2001 film Jurassic Park III
The title character of Rip Kirby, an American comic strip