Roy surname meaning
A multi-origin surname from Scottish Gaelic ruadh “red” and French or Norman roy “king,” both used as nickname or personal-name routes.
Confidence: Disputed. More than one origin is plausible, or sources disagree. We show the conflict rather than pick a cute answer.
The short story
Roy has several established origins. In Scotland it can be a nickname for someone with red hair or a ruddy complexion, from Gaelic ruadh, “red.” In Norman and French contexts it comes from Old French roy or roi, “king,” used as a nickname or personal name; some families may instead be habitational from places called Le Roy. South Asian Rai and Central European Roj can also appear under the same spelling in the United States. The catalog uses nickname for the two prominent descriptive routes, with disputed confidence because the Census spelling gathers distinct traditions.
Also seen as: Roy, Le Roy, Roi, Rey
- Ancestry surname meaning for Roy citing DAFN 2022 (Scottish red, Norman/French king, and place routes)
- Wikipedia “Roy (surname)” (Scottish, French, and regional surname history)
- Names2020_LastNames_RaceHispanic_Top1000.xlsx (2020 Census)