Meaning and Origin of Roy

The origin of the meaning of Roy has Celtic roots, and it refers to “red-haired” or “ruddy”. The French meaning of Roy is “king” and “regal”.

Popularity

Roy was the 847th most popular baby name in Scotland in 2013. In America during the 1950’s, the popularity of Roy ranked number 63, but that number slowly dropped. In the year 1991, it ranked 254; in 2006 it ranked 458, and the most current statistic, from 2013, has the popularity of Roy holding steady at 524.

Variations

Variations of the Roy name include:

• Gilroy (Gaelic)
• Conroy (English)
• Leroy (Dutch English)
• Loe (Hawaiian)
• Rey (Spanish)
• Roi (French)
• Ruadh (Irish)

Famous People

Famous People that have the Roy name:

• The outlaw, also known as a Scottish folk hero, Roy MacGregor (1671-1734) was dubbed “Rob Roy”, because of his red hair.
• Actor Roy Rogers, who was born November 5, 1911, under the name of Leonard Slye.
• Country Singer Roy Orbison, the famous country singer was born on April 23, 1936, and died December 6, 1988.
• Roy J. Glauber, an American physicist, was a recipient of the Nobel Prize. Roy McMillan, Roy Marble and Roy Halliday were all American athletes. Walt Disney’s business partner and brother was also named Roy.
• Lastly, we should not forget the astonishing magicians, Siegfried and Roy, who were born in Germany.

Useful Resources

• See other Scottish boys’ names like Roy here.
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