Arthur, William (1857) An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. New York: Sheldon, Blakeman. Public Domain.
ROY
There are approximately 11,935 people named Roy in the UK. That makes it the 858th most common surname overall. Out of every million people in the UK, approximately 189 are named Roy.
Region of origin
Asia
Country of origin
Unknown
Language of origin
Unknown
Religion of origin
Unknown
Classification
Unknown
Related and similar surnames
KingLeroy
Roye
Roya
Royo
Royes
Royea
Roi
Roiz
Rois
Royds
Royce
Royi
Roey
Rouy
Royh
Rhoy
Roaey
Royeu
Royou
Royee
Roiy
Rhoey
Royf
Royg
Royk
Roym
Royn
Royp
Royr
Royb
Royc
The Roy surname in historical dictionaries
An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names (1857)
(origin: Gaelic.) Ruadh, Roe, Roy, red-haired; also Roye, a town in England. Roi, French, king, whence Le Roy.
Patronymica Britannica (1860)
ROY. Has no relation to the Fr. roi. It is Gaelic, and signifies the red-haired ; and, as such, it has often been n.sed as a sobriquet, down almost to our own times, in conjunction with, or to supersede, a family name.
Lower, Mark A (1860) Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom. London: J.R. Smith. Public Domain.