Place Names

[Goofy]

This is not a puzzle, but can anyone please tell me what Kirby means (as in Kirby Lonsdale and various others).
Thanks

[bartyarmy]

kirby means church village

[shaneystar2]

From the web
Kirby is derived from the Old German kirkja byr, which means “settlement by a church,” or “from the church village.” The English form means “church farm,” the Norse form “from the church farm,” or “from the church village,” the Anglo Saxon form “church town,” and the Scandinavian form “village with the church.” In Irish, Kirby means “surname.”

[MASS1961]

It's from the Scandinavian "Kirk" for church, There are a number of places with Kirkby prefix, Lonsdale, Stephen, Malham, moorside to name a few

KIRK, KIRK- and KIR- The English 'church' became Scandinavian 'kirk' in The Danelaw and is found both as a prefix and a suffix in place-names. In some instances, the second 'k' has been lost from the spelling over the years.

[Goofy]

Thank you. I guess this is where our (Scottish) word for church comes from i.e. Kirk.