The first name Roy
A boy’s name from Scottish Gaelic meaning “king”, “ruler”, “red”.
Pronounced /ˈɹoɪ̯/ 1 syllable Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Scottish Gaelic origin
Roy means “king”, “ruler”, “red” in Scottish Gaelic.
From various sources: * Anglo-Norman roy (“king”) a variant of Old French roi, from Latin rēx, rēgem from Proto-Indo-European *h₃rḗǵs (“ruler, king”). Doublet of Rey. * Scottish Gaelic ruadh (“red, red-haired”) from Old Irish rúad, from Proto-Celtic *roudos from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rewdʰ-. * Anglicisation of Bengali রায় (raẏ, surname). Doublet of Rai, rex, and rajah.
More names that mean king.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 48 boys were named Roy, making it the 728th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 53 births (#399).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Roy with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Roy at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 570 boys born in the United States were named Roy, the 525th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1947, when 7,560 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Famous people named Roy
197 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Roy J. GlauberAmerican theoretical physicist (1925–2018)
- Ben Roy MottelsonDanish-American nuclear physicist (1926–2022)
- Roy OrbisonAmerican musician (1936 –1988)
- Roy LichtensteinAmerican pop artist (1923–1997)
- Roy ScheiderAmerican actor (1932–2008)
- Roy HodgsonEnglish football manager, born 1947
- Roy MakaayDutch footballer (born 1975)
- George Roy HillAmerican film director (1921–2002)
- Roy Jones Jr.American boxer, rapper and actor, born 1969
- Roy EmersonAustralian tennis player, born 1936
- Roy RogersAmerican actor and singer (1911-1998)
- Roy SmithCosta Rican association football player, born 1990
More Scottish Gaelic boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Roy mean?
- Roy means “king”, “ruler”, “red” in Scottish Gaelic.
- What is the origin of the name Roy?
- From various sources: * Anglo-Norman roy (“king”) a variant of Old French roi, from Latin rēx, rēgem from Proto-Indo-European *h₃rḗǵs (“ruler, king”). Doublet of Rey. * Scottish Gaelic ruadh (“red, red-haired”) from Old Irish rúad, from Proto-Celtic *roudos from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rewdʰ-. *…
- How popular is the name Roy?
- In 2025, 48 boys born in England and Wales were named Roy, ranking 728th. Its peak was 1996, with 53 births.
- Is Roy a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 99% of the 411,331 US babies named Roy since 1880 were boys.
- When was Roy most popular?
- 1947 in the United States, when 7,560 babies were named Roy, its highest rank at 48th.
- How do you pronounce Roy?
- Roy is /ˈɹoɪ̯/, one syllable.
- Is Roy also a surname?
- Yes. Roy is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.