Roy or Roi is a masculine given name and a family surname with varied origins.

France

In France, this family name originated from the

Normans The Normans (Norman language, Norman: ''Normaunds''; ; ) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norsemen, Norse Viking settlers and locals of West Francia. The Norse settlements in West Franc ...

, the descendants of Norse

Vikings Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9� ...

who migrated to Amigny, a commune in

Manche Manche (, ; Norman language, Norman: ) is a coastal Departments of France, French ''département'' in Normandy (administrative region), Normandy on the English Channel, which is known as , literally "the sleeve", in French. Manche is bordered by ...

Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...

.. The derivation is from the

Old French Old French (, , ; ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France approximately between the late 8th byname used before the Norman Conquest">Epithet">byname used before the Norman Conquest and a personal name in the Middle Ages">Norman_Conquest.html" ;"title="Epithet">byname used before the Norman Conquest">Epithet">byname used before the Norman Conquest and a personal name in the Middle Ages. Blason Ordre du Temple

Earliest references cite ''Guillaume de Roy'' (William of Roy), who was a knight of the Knights Templar and one of several knights and feudal lords (seigneur) of the Roy family in France and Switzerland. Familles roy coatofarms

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

and in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, the descendants of the families of Roy, Le Roy that immigrated to North America have been granted a

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...

by the

Governor General of Canada The governor general of Canada () is the federal representative of the . The monarch of Canada is also sovereign and head of state of 14 other Commonwealth realms and resides in the United Kingdom. The monarch, on the Advice (constitutional la ...

England

After the Norman Conquest, the victorious Normans and their allies settled England and eventually formed the ruling class of nobles called Anglo-Normans. Roy, or Roi was a family name and also a title that was used by the kings of England & royal administration (such as Norroy and

Viceroy A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the Anglo-Norman ''roy'' (Old Frenc ...

). This is seen with

patronymic A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (more specifically an avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor. It is the male equivalent of a matronymic. Patronymics are used, b ...

surnames like '' Fitzroy'', from '' Fi(t)z'', meaning "son of" and ''Roy'', "king", denoting the name bearer as a "son of the king". '' Le Roy le veult'' ("The King wills it"), is a Norman French phrase still used in the

Parliament of the United Kingdom The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, and may also legislate for the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace ...

to this day as

royal assent Royal assent is the method by which a monarch formally approves an act of the legislature, either directly or through an official acting on the monarch's behalf. In some jurisdictions, royal assent is equivalent to promulgation, while in othe ...

. A legacy of a time prior to 1488 when parliamentary and judicial proceedings were conducted in Norman.

India

In India, Roy is an anglicized variant of the surname '' Rai'', likewise meaning "king". Rai (title) is a historical title of royalty and nobility in the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...

used by rulers and chieftains of many princely states.

Scotland

The name Roy is also found in Scotland, an anglicisation from the

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic (, ; Endonym and exonym, endonym: ), also known as Scots Gaelic or simply Gaelic, is a Celtic language native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a member of the Goidelic language, Goidelic branch of Celtic, Scottish Gaelic, alongs ...

nickname ''ruadh'', meaning "red".

Given name

* Roy Acuff (1903–1992), American country music singer and fiddler * Roy Andersen (born 1955), Norwegian former long-distance runner * Roy Andersen (general) (born 1948), South African businessman and military officer * Roy Anderson (American football) (born 1980), American football coach * Roy M. Anderson (born 1947), British scientific adviser *

Roy Andersson Roy Arne Lennart Andersson (born 31 March 1943) is a Swedes, Swedish film director, best known for his distinctive style of absurdism, absurdist humor and Melancholia, melancholic depictions of human life. His personal style is characterized by ...

(born 1943), Swedish film director * Roy Andersson (footballer) (born 1949), footballer from Sweden * Roy Chapman Andrews (1884–1960), American naturalist and explorer * Roy Ascott (born 1934), British artist and theorist * Roy Ayers (1940–2025), American vibraphonist, record producer and composer * Roy E. Ayers (1882–1955), American politician, governor of Montana * Roy Black (singer) (1943–1991), German singer and actor * Roy Blount Jr. (born 1941), American writer, speaker, reporter and humorist * Roy Blunt (born 1950), United States Senator and former congressman * Roy Bucher (1895–1980), British-Indian soldier and Commander-in-Chief * Roy C (1939–2020), American soul and R&B singer and songwriter * Roy Campanella (1921–1993), American Hall of Fame baseball catcher * Roy Campanella II (born 1948), television director and producer, son of the above * Roy Castle (1932–1994), English dancer, singer, musician, comedian, actor, television presenter and musician * Roy Cimatu (born 1946), Filipino government administrator and retired army general * Roy Clark (1933–2018), American country music singer and musician * Roy Clarke (born 1930), English comedy writer * Roy Choi (born 1970), Korean-American chef * Roy Christian (1943–2024), New Zealand rugby league footballer * Roy Cohn (1927–1986), American lawyer best known as Senator Joseph McCarthy's counsel from 1953 to 1954 * Roy Cooper (born 1957), American politician and governor of North Carolina (2017–2025) * Roy Cooper (rodeo cowboy) (1955–2025), American rodeo cowboy * Roy Crossley (1923–2003), English footballer * Roy Degoregore (1922–1996), Nauruan politician * Roy DeMeo (1940–1983), Italian-American mobster * Roy de Silva (1937–2018), Sri Lankan Sinhala actor and director * Roy E. Disney (1930–2009), American businessman * Roy O. Disney (1893–1971), American businessman * Roy Dobbin (1873–1939), founding member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists * Roy Doron (born 1990), Israeli musician, singer, composer, and music producer * Roy Drusky (1930–2004), American country music singer and songwriter * Roy Face (born 1928), often referred to as "Elroy Face", American baseball relief pitcher * Roy Firestone (born 1953), American sports talk show host * Roy Foster (baseball) (1945–2008), American baseball player * Roy Gagnon (1913–2000), American football player * Roy J. Glauber (1925–2018), American physicist and 2005 Nobel prize winner * Roy M. Goodman (1930–2014), New York state senator * Roy Halladay (1977–2017), American baseball pitcher * Roy Halliday (1923–2007), British vice-admiral * Roy Halston Frowick (1932–1990), better known as Halston, clothing designer * Roy Hamilton (1929–1969), American singer * Roy Hamilton (basketball) (born 1957), American basketball player and sports television producer * Roy Hargrove (1969–2018), American jazz trumpeter * Roy Harper (disambiguation) * Roy Harris (disambiguation) * Roy Harrison (born 1939), Irish former cricketer * Roy M. Harrison (born 1948), environmental chemist * Roy Hartsfield (1925–2011), American Major League Baseball player and manager * Roy Hattersley (born 1932), British politician, author and journalist * Roy Haynes (1925–2024), American jazz drummer * Roy Head (1941–2020), American country music, rockabilly, and R&B singer * Roy Hibbert (born 1986), Jamaican-American retired basketball player * Roy Hodgson (born 1947), English former football player and current manager * Roy Horn (born Uwe Ludwig Horn, 1944–2020), half of the Las Vegas show team Siegfried & Roy * Roy Howell (born 1953), American former Major League baseball player * Roy Lee Jackson (born 1954), American former Major League Baseball pitcher * Roy Douglas Jayetileke, Sri Lankan Sinhala army officer * Roy Jenkins (1920–2003), Welsh politician and author * Roy Johnson (pitcher) (1895–1986), baseball pitcher, manager and longtime coach * Roy Jones Jr. (born 1969), professional boxer * Roy Keane (born 1971), Irish former football player and current manager *

Roy Khan Roy Sætre Khantatat (; born 12 March 1970), commonly known as Roy Khan, is a Norwegian singer and songwriter. He is the lead singer for the progressive metal band Conception (band), Conception and the former lead vocalist for the American power ...

(born 1970), former singer of power metal band Kamelot * Roy Kim (born 1993), born Kim Sang-woo, South Korean singer-songwriter *

Roy Kinnear Roy Mitchell Kinnear (8 January 1934 – 20 September 1988) was an English character actor and comedian. He was known for his acting roles in movies such as Henry Salt in the 1971 film ''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory'', Algernon in The Be ...

(1934–1988), English actor *Roy Ladson Jr. (1983-), Lead singer of Roy & Revelation * Roy Lechthaler (1908–1980), American football player * Roy Li (born 1965), Singaporean musician *

Roy Lichtenstein Roy Fox Lichtenstein ( ; October27, 1923September29, 1997) was an American pop artist. He rose to prominence in the 1960s through pieces which were inspired by popular advertising and the comic book style. Much of his work explores the relations ...

(1923–1997), American pop artist * Roy Lopez (American football) (born 1997), American football player * Roy McMillan (1929–1997), American baseball player * Roy Makaay (born 1975), Dutch footballer and current manager * Roy Marika (c. 1925 – 1993), Aboriginal Australian artist and Indigenous rights activist * Roy Marten (born Roy Wicaksono Abdul, 1952) Indonesian actor * Roy Masters (commentator) (1928–2021), American talk radio personality * Roy Mbaeteka (born 2000), Nigerian-American football player * Roy Moore (born 1947), American politician and former state judge * Roy Morris ( – 2011), British Scout Leader, recipient of the Silver Wolf Award * Roy Nachum (born 1979), Israeli contemporary artist * Roy Nelson (disambiguation), multiple people * Roy Niederhoffer (born 1966), American hedge fund manager and philanthropist * Roy Nissany (born 1994), Israeli racing driver * Roy Olmstead (1886–1966), American policeman, then bootlegger * Roy Orbison (1936–1988), American singer-songwriter * Roy Oxlade (1929–2014), English painter and writer on art * Roy Parmelee (1907–1981), American baseball player * Roy Earl Parrish (1888–1918), American politician * Roy Pinney (1911–2010), herpetologist, professional photographer, writer, spelunker, pilot and war correspondent * Roy Poels (born 1972), Dutch judoka * Roy Roebuck (1929–2023), British politician *

Roy Rogers Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998), nicknamed the King of the Cowboys, was an American singer, actor, television host, and Rodeo, rodeo performer. Following early work under his given name, first as a c ...

(1911–1998), American singing movie cowboy * Roy Rosselló (born 1970), member of Puerto Rican boy band Menudo from 1983 to 1986 *

Roy Scheider Roy Richard Scheider (; November 10, 1932 – February 10, 2008) was an American actor and amateur boxer who achieved fame with his leading and supporting roles in celebrated films from the 1970s through to the mid-1980s. He was nominated for t ...

(1932–2008), film actor * Roy Schwartz Tichon (born 1992), social entrepreneur promoting public transportation on Saturday in Israel * Roy Schwitters (1944–2023), American physicist * Roy D. Shapiro, professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School * Roy Shepherd (1931–2008), British ice hockey player * Roy Shepherd (pianist) (1907–1986), Australian pianist and teacher * Roy Sievers (1926–2017), American baseball player * Roy Smalley Jr. (1926–2011), American baseball player, father of Roy Smalley III * Roy Smalley III (born 1952), American baseball player, son of Roy Smalley Jr. * Roy Staiger (born 1950), baseball player in the late 1970s * Roy Strong (born 1935), English art historian, museum curator, writer, broadcaster and landscape designer * Roy Sullivan (1912–1983), American park ranger * Roy Suryo (born 1968), former Minister of Youth and Sports Affairs of Indonesia * Roy Thomas (pitcher) (born 1953), American baseball player * Roy Underhill (born 1950), host of the PBS series ''The Woodwright's Shop'' * Roy Wang, also known as Wang Yuan (born 2000), Chinese singer-songwriter, television host and actor * Roy Webb (1888–1982), gospel music pianist and speaker * Roy White (born 1943), American all-star baseball player * Roy Williams (basketball coach) (born 1950), American college basketball coach * Roy Williamson (1936–1990), Scottish folk singer * Roy Wilkins (1901–1981), civil rights activist * Roy Wood (born 1946), English singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist * Roy Wood Jr. (born 1978), American comedian and humorist

Surname

* Ajoy Roy (1935–2019), Bangladeshi physicist and human rights activist * Anupam Roy (born 1982), Indian singer and music director * Anuradha Roy (novelist) (born 1967), Indian Bengali novelist and journalist * Arun Roy (1968 or 1969–2025), Bangladeshi cinematographer * Aruna Roy (born 1946), Indian Tamil social activist * Arundhati Roy (born 1961), Indian Keralite novelist and political activist * Avik Roy, American political commentator * Bidhan Chandra Roy (1882–1962), Indian Bengali politician * Bikash Roy (1916–1987), Indian Bengali actor * Bimal Roy (1909–1966), Indian Bengali film director * Brandon Roy (born 1984), American basketball player * Bravvion Roy (born 1996), American football player * Bryan Roy (born 1970), Dutch football (soccer) player and current manager * Bunker Roy (born 1945), Indian Bengali social activist * Claude Roy (physician) (1928–2015), Canadian physician * Claude Roy (poet) (1915–1997), French poet and essayist * Claude Roy (politician) (born 1952), Canadian politician * Conrad Roy (1995–2014), American marine salvage captain whose suicide resulted in the manslaughter conviction of his girlfriend * Debashree Roy (born 1961), Indian Bengali actress * Deep Roy (born 1957), Kenyan-born Indian actor * Derek Roy (born 1983), Canadian ice hockey player * Derek Roy (comedian) (1922–1981), English comedian * Dolon Roy (born 1970), Indian Bengali actress * Drew Roy (born 1986), American actor * Eric Roy (footballer) (born 1967), French footballer * Eric Roy (politician) (born 1948), New Zealand politician * Fabien Roy (1928–2023), Canadian politician * Falguni Roy (1945–1981), Indian Bengali poet * Gabrielle Roy (1909–1983), Canadian author * Helen Roy (born 1969), British ecologist, entomologist and academic * Indra Lal Roy (1898–1918), Indian Bengali First World War flying ace * Jahor Roy (1919–1977), Indian Bengali actor and comedian * James Roy (politician) (1893–1971), New Zealand politician * James Roy (writer) (born 1968), Australian writer * James A. Roy (born 1964), US Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force * Jaquelin Roy (born 2000), American football player * Jason Roy (born 1990), English cricketer * Jeffrey Roy (born 1961), American politician and lawyer * Jean Sebastien Roy, Canadian motocross rider who enjoyed success in the 2000s * Jean-Yves Roy (born 1949), Canadian politician * Joshua Roy (born 2003), Canadian ice hockey player * Juthika Roy (1920–2014), Indian Bengali singer * Kalidas Roy (1889–1975), Indian Bengali poet * Kanu Roy (1912–1981), Indian Bengali film actor, and music composer * Leela Roy (1900–1970), Indian Bengali independence activist and social reformer * Leo Roy (1904–1955), American/Canadian boxer * M. N. Roy (1887–1954), Indian Bengali philosopher and revolutionary * Mathieu Roy (ice hockey, born 1983) (born 1983), Canadian ice hockey player * Mathieu Roy (ice hockey, born 1986) (born 1986), Canadian ice hockey player * Matt Roy (born 1995), American ice hockey player * Mouni Roy (born 1985), Indian actress * Nicolas Roy (born 1997), Canadian ice hockey player * Nicole Roy, Canadian professor of human nutrition in New Zealand * Nirmal Roy (born 1996), Pakistani singer * Nirupa Roy (1931–2004), Indian Gujarati actress * Patrick Roy (born 1965), Canadian ice hockey head coach and former goaltender * Peter Roy (1828–1881), American farmer and politician * Prannoy Roy (born 1949), Indian Bengali journalist and media personality * Prasanna Kumar Roy (1849–1932), Indian Bengali educationist * Rachel Roy (born 1974), American fashion designer * Ram Mohan Roy (1772–1833), Indian Bengali religious, social and educational reformer * Rahul Roy (born 1966), Indian film actor * Rohit Roy (born 1968), Indian actor * Ronit Roy (born 1965), Indian actor * Rudolf Roy (1920–1944), German tank commander * Sarat Chandra Roy (1871–1942), Indian Bengali anthropologist * Satabdi Roy (born 1968), Indian Bengali actress * Shasanka Mohan Roy (born 1941), Indian quantum physicist * Shehzad Roy (born 1979), Pakistani pop singer and social worker * Subrata Roy (born 1948), Indian Bengali businessman * Subimal Chandra Roy (1912–1971), Indian Bengali jurist * Subodh Roy (1916–2006), Indian Bengali independence activist * Sylvie Roy (1964–2016), Canadian politician * Tarapada Roy (1936–2007), Indian Bengali author * William Roy (1726–1790), Scottish surveyor * Zachary Roy (born 2003), Canadian soccer player

Fictional characters

* Esme & Roy's eponymous monster * Kiriti Roy, a fictional detective created by Nihar Ranjan Gupta * Philly Boy Roy, from the radio show and podcast '' The Best Show with Tom Scharpling'' * Roy, from the video game '' Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade'' * Roy, from the British sketch show '' Little Britain'' * Roy, a minor character from the '' Peanuts'' comic strip * Roy Biggins, a major character from '' Wings'' * Roy Anderson, from '' The Office'' * Roy Batty, the leader of the renegade replicants in the film '' Blade Runner'' * Roy G. Bivolo, DC Comics supervillain known as Rainbow Raider * Roy Carson, from ''

Final Destination 5 ''Final Destination 5'' is a 2011 American 3D supernatural horror film directed by Steven Quale and written by Eric Heisserer. It is the fifth installment in the ''Final Destination'' film series and serves as a prequel to the 2000 origi ...

'' * Roy Cropper, from the British soap opera ''Coronation Street'' * Roy Earle, from the game '' L.A. Noire'' * Roy Greenhilt, from the webcomic ''

The Order of the Stick ''The Order of the Stick'' (''OOTS'') is a comedic webcomic that satirizes tabletop role-playing games and medieval fantasy. The comic is written and drawn by Rich Burlew, who illustrates the comic in a stick figure style. Taking place in a mag ...

'' * Roy Gribbleston, Yellow Guy's father from '' Don't Hug Me I'm Scared'' * Roy Harper, a superhero in the DC Comics universe * Roy Hobbs, protagonist of the Bernard Malamud novel '' The Natural'' and ''The Natural'' (film) * Roy "Jawjack" Kelton, a character from the 1988 film '' 14 Going on 30'' * Roy Kent, from the streaming television series ''

Ted Lasso ''Ted Lasso'' ( ) is an American sports film, sports comedy-drama television series developed by Jason Sudeikis, Bill Lawrence (TV producer), Bill Lawrence, Brendan Hunt, and Joe Kelly. It is based on a character Sudeikis portrayed in a series ...

'' * Roy Koopa, one of the Koopalings from the ''Mario'' franchise * Roy Miller, protagonist from the 2010 film ''

Green Zone The Green Zone () is the most common name for the International Zone of Baghdad. It is a area in the Karkh, Karkh district of central Baghdad, Iraq. It is the chief government precinct and the seat of the Iraqi government. History Pre-200 ...

'' * Roy Miller, protagonist from the 2010 film '' Knight and Day'' * Roy Mustang, from the manga '' Fullmetal Alchemist'' * Roy Neary, protagonist from '' Close Encounters of the Third Kind'' * Roy O'Brien, eponymous animated protagonist of '' Roy'' * Roy Race, from the comic strip ''

Roy of the Rovers ''Roy of the Rovers'' is a British comic strip about the life and times of a fictional association football, footballer and later Manager (association football), manager named Roy Race, who played for Melchester Rovers. The strip first appeared ...

'' * Roy Rooster, in the comic strip '' U.S. Acres'' * Roy Trenneman, from the British sitcom '' The IT Crowd'' * The Roy family, from the series ''Succession'' * Roy Raskin, one of the main characters in '' The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder'' * Roy, one of the main characters in '' Pokémon Horizons: The Series'' * Roy, an anthropomorphic fire engine in the preschool TV series '' Robocar Poli''

References

{{given name, type=both Surnames of Norman origin English-language surnames French-language surnames Given names derived from colors Scottish masculine given names English masculine given names French masculine given names Masculine given names Surnames of Indian origin Bengali Hindu surnames