Roy

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

Normandy 

In France, this family name originated from the Normans, the descendants of Norse Vikings who migrated to Amigny, a commune in Manche, Normandy. The derivation is from the Old French roy, le roy (), meaning "king". A byname used before the Norman Conquest and a nickname in the Middle Ages. Other spellings that are recorded: Roi, Le Roi and De Roy, meaning "of Roy". Earliest references cite Guillaume De Roy (William of Roy), who was a knight of the Knights Templar and one of several knights and lords (seigneur) of the Roy family in France.

In Canada and in the United States, the descendants of the families of Roy, Le Roy that immigrated from France to North America have been granted a coat of arms by the Governor General of Canada.

England 

After the Norman Conquest, the victorious Normans and their allies settled England and eventually formed the ruling class of nobles called Anglo-Normans. The Old Norman language, brought from northern France, would also transition into a dialect called Anglo-Norman. Roy, or Roi was a title that was used by the kings of England, royal administration (such as Norroy and Viceroy) and as a family name. This is seen with patronymic 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 to this day as royal assent. 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 used by rulers and chieftains of many princely states.

Scotland  

The name Roy is also found in Scotland, an anglicisation from the Scottish Gaelic 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 (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 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 Christian (born 1943), 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
Roy Crossley (1923–2003), English footballer
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 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 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 (born 1970), former singer of power metal band Kamelot
Roy Kim (born 1993), born Kim Sang-woo, South Korean singer-songwriter
Roy Kinnear (1934–1988), English actor
Roy Lechthaler (1908–1980), American football player
Roy Li Fey Huei (born 1965), Singaporean musician
Roy Lichtenstein (1923–1997), American pop artist
Roy Lopez (American football) (born 1997), American football player
Roy Makaay (born 1975), Dutch footballer and current manager
Roy Masters (commentator) (1928–2021), American talk radio personality, podcaster and spiritual counselor
Roy Mbaeteka (born 2000), Nigerian-American football player
Roy McMillan (1929–1997), American baseball player
Roy Morris (–2011), British Scout Leader, recipient of the Silver Wolf Award
Roy Moore (born 1947), American politician and former state judge
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 Earl Parrish (1888–1918), American politician
Roy Pinney (1911–2010), herpetologist, professional photographer, writer, spelunker, pilot and war correspondent
Roy Rogers (1911–1998), American singing movie cowboy
Roy Rosselló (born 1970), former member of Puerto Rican Boyband Menudo from 1983–1986.
Roy Sanders (Louisiana politician) (1904–1976), American educator and Louisiana state legislator
Roy Scheider (1932–2008), film actor
Roy Schwartz Tichon, 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 (born 1931), 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 Sullivan (1912–1983), American park ranger
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 

Anupam Roy (born 1982), Indian singer and music director
Ajoy Roy (1935–2019), Bangladeshi physicist and human rights activist
Anuradha Roy (novelist) (born 1967), Indian Bengali novelist and journalist
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 (born 1928), 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
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), Canadian ice hockey player
Mathieu Roy (ice hockey, born 1986), Canadian ice hockey player
Matt Roy (born 1995), American ice hockey player
Mouni Roy (born 1985), Indian actress
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
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
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
 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
 Roy Koopa, one of the Koopalings from the Mario franchise
 Roy Miller, protagonist from the 2010 film Green Zone
 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 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

See also 
Leroy (name)
Leroi
Rai (surname)
Rey (surname)
Ray (surname)
Roi (disambiguation)
Rob Roy MacGregor (1671–1734), Scottish outlaw and folk hero

References 

Surnames of Norman origin
English-language surnames
French-language surnames
Given names derived from colors
Scottish masculine given names
Masculine given names
Surnames of Indian origin
Bengali Hindu surnames