ROY
The surname Roy is of French origin and derives from the Old French word roi, meaning king. It began as a nickname or occupational name, applied to someone who acted in a regal manner or who served in the retinue of a sovereign.
In French‑speaking regions the name is fairly common and, through waves of immigration, has spread to many other parts of the world. The surname is also recorded in Asia, reflecting the broader diaspora of French emigrants and their descendants.
In the British Isles the surname is documented under several variants, namely Le Roy, Leroy, Leroi, Le Roi and Roy. Two main hypotheses are advanced for its appearance in this area. First, the name may be Norman‑French, introduced after the Norman Conquest of 1066. Anglo‑French speakers adopted the term réy or roi to denote a king or chief, and in the medieval period it was used as a nickname for a man who behaved with regal bearing, who had earned a title through a contest of skill, or who had been elected king for the day at a local festival. An early attestation of this usage is Roi de Scallebi, listed in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1188.
The second plausible origin is Gaelic or Scottish. In this tradition the name functions as a nickname for a person with red hair, taken from the Gaelic word ruadh meaning red. Early documentary examples include Adam le Roy in the Feet of Fines of Suffolk, 1268, and Simon Roy in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, 1279. Later records show Moritius Roy as a witness in Perth during the reign of James XI of Scotland, and John Roy serving as sheriff of Inverness in 1563.
One recorded hereditary armorial for a Roy family comprises a blue shield charged with a silver lion rampant, edged by a silver border bearing eight red torteaux. The family motto, Qua tendis, translates as Whither do you steer.
The earliest known spelling of the surname is that of Robert Raie, recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1206 during the reign of King John, known as “Lackland”, 1199–1216.
Typical given names associated with the Roy surname
Male
- Alan
- Alexander
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Robert
- Thomas
- William
Female
- Alison
- Christine
- Elizabeth
- Helen
- Jean
- Jennifer
- Linda
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Sarah
- Sheila
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Roy in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 8,205 people named Roy in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,152nd most common surname in Britain. Around 126 in a million people in Britain are named Roy.
Region of origin: Asia
Famous people named Roy
- Jack Roy - American actor and comedian (1921 to 2004)
- Ram Mohan Roy - Indian religious, social, and educational reformer, and humanitarian (1772 to 1833)
- Jason Roy - Cricketer
- Mouni Roy - Indian actress
- Arundhati Roy - Indian novelist, essayist, and activist
- Maria Roy - Actress
- Lucinda Roy - Novelist, poet
- Harry Roy - Dance band leader and clarinet player (1900 to 1971)
- Duncan Roy - Film director
- Lindsay Roy - Politician
- Archie Roy - Scottish astronomer and author (1924 to 2012)
- Frank Roy - Politician
- Ally Roy - Scottish football player
- William Roy - Scottish military engineer, surveyor, and antiquarian (1726 to 1790)
- A. D. Roy - Economist (1920 to 2003)
- Derek Roy - Comedian (1922 to 1981)
- Roy - Football player (1937 to 2014)
- Alex Roy - Darts player
- Stuart Roy - Rugby union player
- Hugh Roy - Cricketer (1935 to 2014)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.