Hello Christina, I was very interested to note your posting regarding research into the Colby name. I am currently trying to write an illustrated history of the family which, as I am sure you are aware, is one of considerable age. As far as I can gather, the first Colbys ( the name was to begin with de Colbi, meaning from the place called Colbi ) originally settled in Norfolk (England) at a place called Cawston, about 10 miles north East of the City of Norwich . On the A140 North of Norwich sits the village of Colby which would seem likely to have taken its name from the family. or perhaps vice versa.! The ealiest recorded Colby was one ROBERT DE COLBI and his brothers WARINE and SIMON who were alive in 1199. Here is an extract from Blomefield:- "At the survey Coleby was a berewic, belonged to Cawston, and the whole continued with that till Will. de Burgh severed it by granting half the town and half the advowson from Cawston, which in 1199 ROBERT DE COLBI held with WARINE DE COLBI and SIMON DE COLBI, his brothers. The Colbys' manor here, called Oldstead Hall, descended in that family from ROBERT DE COLEBI." Exciting stuff, Eh? So here we have the first 3 Colbys alive in the 12th Century, nearly one thousand years ago, and not only that but the name of the first Colby Manor House- OLDSTEAD HALL!! I am planning a trip with camera to see if there still a house there and of course to visit Colby Village and the surrounding countryside in search of our earliest recorded ancestors. It would seem that the 6 main branches of the family are, in chronological order:- Colby of Norfolk , England 12th century. Colby of Yorkshire, England 13th century. The Yorkshire spelling of the name was COLBYE during the 17th Century. Colby of Suffolk, England 16th century. Colby of Massacheusetts, U.S.A 17th century. Colby of South Wales, Great Britain. 17th century. There is some speculation that this branch of the family is an off shoot from the Yorkshire Colbys. Colby of Great Torrrington, Devon 18th century. I am sure that there are many more branches of the family yet to be discovered. I would be most interested if you could kindly tell me about your branch and perhaps be so kind as to let me have any family trees pertaining to your branch. I live in Cirencester, Gloucestershire and am descended from the South Wales Colbys. Look forward to hearing and sharing information. Tristan Colby Salazar. [email protected]