This name has several possible roots but it is thought that the Irish from comes from Ciarmhaic which means ‘dark son’. The surname from this was O Ciarba or O Cearba. By the Norman Age many surnames became anglicised and so Kirby was adopted. In England Kirby is a common placename derived from the Old Norse terms ‘kirk’ for church and ‘byr’ for settlement. The military style belt on their crest uses colours of military strength, with a lion or tigers head for fierceness and valour. Variations of the name include Kirby, Kerby and Kerwick.