Local 'of Gilby,' a hamlet in the parish of Pilham, Lincolnshire, (a) Local, 'of Kilby,' a parish in Leicestershire, six miles from Leicester. It seems certain that this is one solution; v. Kilbey. (3) Bapt. 'the son of Gilbert,' from the pet Gilbie; compare Charley, Teddie, &c. The following entry confirms this strongly:

John Gilbeson, Somerset, 1 Edward III: Kirby's Quest.

1571. Richard Gilbye, or Kelby, Lincolnshire: Register of the University of Oxford.

1619. Robert Kilbie, Leicestershire, ibid.

1794. Married — John Gilby and Mary Jecklins: St. George, Hanover Square.

(Scandinavian) belonging to Gilby (Lincs) [the first element may be the Old Norse gil, a ravine, or represent a pers. name; the second is Old Norse by-r, estate, dwelling(s] (Anglo-French-Teut.) dims. of Gilbert, q.v. (Celtic)=Gilbody, q.v.

Of dual origin: an English toponymic or an anglicized form of Ó Giolla Bhuidhe, which is usually anglicized Gilboy but sometimes Ogilvy. The name of the Scottish clan Ogilvie is actually taken from a place so called. SIF 76

Gilbey is a surname of dual origin. The majority of families so called are English, the name being derived from one of several place—names in England known as Gilbey or Gilby. It may also be a form of Ó Giolla Bhuidhe, which however is usually anglicized as Gilboy. There may be cases of Gilbey being used for Mac Giolla Bhuide (see MacKelvey, infra). As one of the early anglicized forms was O'Gilvie it might be expected that it is the same as the Scottish Ogilvie. That, however, has no connexion with O'Gilvie (except occasionally when Ogilvie may have been made to look Irish, as in the case of Odell, written O'Dell): the Scottish Ogilvie is taken from a Scottish place name, the Glen of Ogilvy in the County of Angus. This may be the origin of Oglebee, a name which occurs in the Antrim hearth money rolls of 1669. Neil and Terlagh O'Gilevoy were among the followers of O'Donnell in 1602. Many Donegal families migrated to north Connacht soon after that, which probably accounts for the fact that Gilboy has in modern times been found mainly in Co. Mayo. The prefix 0, now I think quite obsolete with this name, was retained by at least one family up to 1839, when the will of Robert O'Gilby was proved in the Derry diocese. John Ogilby who was appointed Master of the Revels in 1661 and may be described as the founder of the modern Dublin theatre was not a native Irishman.

From Gilby; a location name in Lincolnshire.

Gilbey: the great wine-merchant, whose crest—a dragon issuing from a tower—is on every bottle he sells, may derive from Quillebœuf in Normandy. There is, however, a Kilby in Leicestershire; and in the Oxford University Register for 1571 is the entry of Richard Gilbye or Kelby of Lincolnshire.