This is an English surname, but just possibly of Italian origins. Recorded in several spellings including Callaby, Callady, Calaby, Calloby, Colloby and possibly Calabre and Calabry, it is almost certainly locational and originates either from a now "lost" medieval village of which there are over three thousand examples in the British Isles or as a transposed spelling from an existing village such as Callaley in the county of Northumberland. However it is also just possible that some nameholders may originate from Calabria, a region in South West Italy. If this latter surmise is correct, it would seem to have been carried by (French) Huguenot refugees with the name, who fled to England mainly during the 17th century to avoid persecution on the continent as protestants. Curiously the name derived from Calabria was a traditional nickname for people with guile and cunning and therefore a nickname! This would seem to be the case with Marene Calabry, who married Feaster Condre at St Dunstans in the East, Stepney, on April 24th 1700. The earliest probable recording in any spelling form is that of Robarte Colabre, at St Margarets church, Westminster on October 7th 1576, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1st (1558 - 1603), whilst also at St Dunstans we have the recording three centuries later of Emily Callaby, who married Henry Butler on February 7th 1864.

© Copyright: Name Origin Research 1980 - 2024