Overby
A surname of Scandinavian flavor, likely meaning someone from or near an upper farm or higher settlement.
The #5,512 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 48,922 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Overby is best understood as a Scandinavian place-name surname built from elements meaning "upper" or "over" plus "farm" or "village." In Danish, Norwegian, and related names, -by commonly refers to a settlement, village, or farmstead, while over- suggests something higher, upper, or above another place. The name would originally have identified a person who lived at the upper farm or came from a place called Overby.
History
This surname fits a common Scandinavian naming pattern in which people were identified by the farm or locality where they lived. It is found among immigrants from Norway, Denmark, and Sweden and later became established in North America, where the spelling was generally preserved. In some cases it may also reflect a specific farm name rather than a descriptive label applied independently.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The ending -by is a helpful clue in Scandinavian surnames: it often points to an old settlement or farm name rather than the English word "by."