Roy

In France, this family name originated from the Normans, the descendants of Norse Vikings who migrated to Amigny, a commune in Manche, Normandy.^[1][2][3][4] The derivation is from the Old French roy, roi (French pronunciation: [ʁwa]), meaning "king", which was a byname used before the Norman Conquest and a personal name in the Middle Ages.^[5]

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)^[6][7][8] of the Roy family in France.^[9][10][11]

In Canada and in the United States, the descendants of the families of Roy, Le Roy that immigrated to North America have been granted a coat of arms by the Governor General of Canada.^[12][13][14]

After the Norman Conquest, the victorious Normans and their allies settled England and eventually formed the ruling class of nobles called Anglo-Normans.^[2] 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).^[15][16][17] 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".^[18][19][20]

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.^[21][22]

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.^[2]

The name Roy is also found in Scotland, an anglicisation from the Scottish Gaelic nickname ruadh, meaning "red".^[2]

• 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 Choi (born 1970), Korean-American chef
• 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 (born 1965), Singaporean musician
• Roy Lichtenstein (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 (c. 1930 – 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 Roebuck (1929–2023), British politician
• Roy Rogers (1911–1998), American singing movie cowboy
• Roy Rosselló (born 1970), member of Puerto Rican boy band Menudo from 1983 to 1986
• 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 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

• Chandra deep Roy (born 2004), Indian writer and poet
• 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
• 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), 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
• 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 (born 1920), 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

• 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

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