Darby is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, along Darby Creek 5 miles (8 km) southwest of downtown Philadelphia. It has a public library erected in 1743 and a cemetery more than 300 years old. The Quakers lived there early in the colonial era. Darby was settled about 1660 and was incorporated on March 3, 1852. In 1900, 3,429 people made their homes there, in 1910, 6,305, and in 1940, 10,334 residents of Darby existed. The population was 10,299 at the 2000 census. There is speculation, according to local historians, that the name "Darby" is a mispronunciation of the word "Derby" derived from the English town of Derby, in the county of Derbyshire. One explanation states that the Darby Creek closely resembled the English River Derwent, the main body of water that flows through Derby. British immigrants named the town in the new world thus. Birthplace of legendary comedian and actor, W.C. Fields, born in 1880 at the Buttonwood Hotel, then located at 9th and Main Streets. Darby Borough is a distinct municipality from the similarly-named, nearby municipality of Darby Township.