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Boy · Scottish Gaelic
Roy
Say it: ROY
Meaning
From Scottish Gaelic ruadh 'red', originally a nickname for red hair. The popular meaning 'king', from French roi, is a folk etymology.
Disputedsharp disagreement, or a popular meaning that is not supported.
Very popular in the US from the 1880s to the 1930s.
Its wave through time
Fading since the 1890s
In the United States
- 408,572 babies given this name since 1880
- At its height in 1890, about 1 in 118 boys
- 480 babies in 2020
Through the ages
Used by
Famous bearers
- Roy Rogers, American singing cowboy
- Rob Roy MacGregor, Scottish outlaw
Names worth a look
Where this comes from
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
- National census records of the 19th and 20th centuries
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
Meanings and histories are compiled from the study of names and their languages and checked by a second review.
Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.