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

France

In France, this family name originated from the

Normans The Normans (Norman language, Norman: ''Normaunds''; ; ) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norsemen, Norse Viking settlers and locals of West Francia. The Norse settlements in West Franc ...

, the descendants of Norse

Vikings Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9� ...

who migrated to

Amigny Amigny () is a commune in the Manche department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. History When the Vikings raided northern France and their leader Rollo was granted Normandy, several Norwegian settlers came to migrate to Amigny. O ...

, a commune in

Manche Manche (, ; Norman language, Norman: ) is a coastal Departments of France, French ''département'' in Normandy (administrative region), Normandy on the English Channel, which is known as , literally "the sleeve", in French. Manche is bordered by ...

Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...

.. The derivation is from the

Old French Old French (, , ; ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France approximately between the late 8th

byname An epithet (, ), also a byname, is a descriptive term (word or phrase) commonly accompanying or occurring in place of the name of a real or fictitious person, place, or thing. It is usually literally descriptive, as in Alfred the Great, Suleima ...

used before the Norman Conquest and a personal name in the Middle Ages. Blason Ordre du Temple

Earliest references cite ''Guillaume de Roy'' (William of Roy), who was a

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

of the

Knights Templar The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, mainly known as the Knights Templar, was a Military order (religious society), military order of the Catholic Church, Catholic faith, and one of the most important military ord ...

and one of several knights and feudal lords (

seigneur A seigneur () or lord is an originally feudal title in France before the Revolution, in New France and British North America until 1854, and in the Channel Islands to this day. The seigneur owned a seigneurie, seigneury, or lordship—a form of ...

) of the Roy family in France and Switzerland. Familles roy coatofarms

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

and in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, the descendants of the families of Roy, Le Roy that immigrated to North America have been granted a

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...

by the

Governor General of Canada The governor general of Canada () is the federal representative of the . The monarch of Canada is also sovereign and head of state of 14 other Commonwealth realms and resides in the United Kingdom. The monarch, on the Advice (constitutional la ...

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 Anglo-Normans (, ) were the medieval ruling class in the Kingdom of England following the Norman Conquest. They were primarily a combination of Normans, Bretons, Flemings, French people, Frenchmen, Anglo-Saxons and Celtic Britons. Afte ...

. Roy, or Roi was a family name and also a title that was used by the kings of England & royal administration (such as

Norroy Norroy (, also: ''Norroy-sur-Vair'') is a commune in the Vosges department in Grand Est in northeastern France. Inhabitants are called ''Nogarésiens''. Geography Norroy is positioned to the north-west of Vittel on a plateau that separates the ...

and

Viceroy A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the Anglo-Norman ''roy'' (Old Frenc ...

). This is seen with

patronymic A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (more specifically an avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor. It is the male equivalent of a matronymic. Patronymics are used, b ...

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") or ' (, "The Queen wills it") is a Norman French phrase used in the Parliament of the United Kingdom to signify that a public bill, including a private member's bill, has received royal assent from the monarch. During t ...

'' ("The King wills it"), is a Norman French phrase still used in the

Parliament of the United Kingdom The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, and may also legislate for the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace ...

to this day as

royal assent Royal assent is the method by which a monarch formally approves an act of the legislature, either directly or through an official acting on the monarch's behalf. In some jurisdictions, royal assent is equivalent to promulgation, while in othe ...

. A legacy of a time prior to 1488 when parliamentary and judicial proceedings were conducted in Norman.

India

In India, Roy is an

anglicized Anglicisation or anglicization is a form of cultural assimilation whereby something non-English becomes assimilated into or influenced by the culture of England. It can be sociocultural, in which a non-English place adopts the English language ...

variant of the surname ''

Rai (), commercially styled as since 2000 and known until 1954 as (RAI), is the national public broadcasting company of Italy, owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. RAI operates many terrestrial and subscription television channels a ...

'', likewise meaning "king".

Rai (title) Rai is a historical title of royalty and nobility in the Indian subcontinent used by rulers and chieftains of many princely states. It is derived from ''Raja'' (king). The Marathi/Telugu variant Rai was used as a substitute to King. When Babu ...

is a historical title of royalty and nobility in the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...

used by rulers and chieftains of many princely states.

Scotland

The name Roy is also found in Scotland, an anglicisation from the

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic (, ; Endonym and exonym, endonym: ), also known as Scots Gaelic or simply Gaelic, is a Celtic language native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a member of the Goidelic language, Goidelic branch of Celtic, Scottish Gaelic, alongs ...

nickname ''ruadh'', meaning "red".

Given name

Roy Acuff Roy Claxton Acuff (September 15, 1903 – November 23, 1992) was an American country music singer, fiddler, and promoter. Known as the "King of Country Music", Acuff is often credited with moving the genre from its early string band and "hoedown ...

(1903–1992), American country music singer and fiddler *

Roy Andersen Roy Andersen (born 2 April 1955) is a former Norwegian long-distance runner. Internationally he finished tenth at the 1982 European Championships and 38th at the 1986 World Cross Country Championships. He also competed at the 1983 World Champ ...

(born 1955), Norwegian former long-distance runner *

Roy Andersen (general) Major General Roy Cecil Andersen (born 12 May 1948 in Johannesburg) is a South African businessman and a retired Reserve Commanding General, general officer in the South African Army from the South African Army Artillery Formation, artillery. ...

(born 1948), South African businessman and military officer *

Roy Anderson (American football) Roy Anderson (born October 5, 1980) is an American football coach for the Philadelphia Eagles. Coaching career Anderson's career began at Florida A&M where, in 2002, he served as a graduate assistant. In 2003, at LSU under Nick Saban, Anderson ...

(born 1980), American football coach *

Roy M. Anderson Sir Roy Malcolm Anderson (born 12 April 1947) is a leading international authority on the epidemiology and control of infectious diseases. He is the author, with Robert May, of the most highly cited book in this field, entitled '' Infectiou ...

(born 1947), British scientific adviser *

Roy Andersson Roy Arne Lennart Andersson (born 31 March 1943) is a Swedes, Swedish film director, best known for his distinctive style of absurdism, absurdist humor and Melancholia, melancholic depictions of human life. His personal style is characterized by ...

(born 1943), Swedish film director *

Roy Andersson (footballer) Bror Roy Andersson (born 2 August 1949) is a Swedish former footballer who played as a defender. He won 20 caps for the Sweden national team, and played three matches at the 1978 FIFA World Cup. He was a strong central defender for Malmö FF ...

(born 1949), footballer from Sweden *

Roy Chapman Andrews Roy Chapman Andrews (January 26, 1884 – March 11, 1960) was an American explorer, adventurer, and Natural history, naturalist who became the director of the American Museum of Natural History. He led a series of expeditions through the politi ...

(1884–1960), American naturalist and explorer *

Roy Ascott Roy Ascott FRSA (born 26 October 1934) is a British artist, who works with cybernetics and telematics on an art he calls technoetics by focusing on the impact of digital and telecommunications networks on consciousness. Since the 1960s, Ascott ...

(born 1934), British artist and theorist *

Roy Ayers Roy Edward Ayers Jr. (September 10, 1940 – March 4, 2025) was an American vibraphonist, record producer, and composer. Ayers began his career as a post-bop jazz artist, releasing several studio albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure ...

(1940–2025), American vibraphonist, record producer and composer *

Roy E. Ayers Roy Elmer Ayers (November 9, 1882May 23, 1955) was a U.S. Democratic Party (United States), Democratic politician. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives and as the List of Governors of Montana, 11th Governor of Monta ...

(1882–1955), American politician, governor of Montana *

Roy Black (singer) Gerhard Höllerich (25 January 1943 – 9 October 1991), known professionally as Roy Black, was a German schlager singer and actor, who appeared in several musical comedies and starred in the 1989 TV series, . Biography Born in Bobingen, Ba ...

(1943–1991), German singer and actor *

Roy Blount Jr. Roy Alton Blount Jr. (; born October 4, 1941) is an American writer, speaker, reporter, and humorist. Life and career Blount was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, and grew up in Decatur, Georgia. He attended Ponce de Leon Elementary School and gr ...

(born 1941), American writer, speaker, reporter and humorist *

Roy Blunt Roy Dean Blunt (born January 10, 1950) is an American politician and lobbyist who served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Missouri from 2011 to 2023. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he pre ...

(born 1950), United States Senator and former congressman *

Roy Bucher General Sir Francis Robert Roy Bucher (31 August 1895 – 5 January 1980) was a British Indian Army officer who became the second Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army and the final non-Indian to hold the top post of the Indian Army after Part ...

(1895–1980), British-Indian soldier and Commander-in-Chief *

Roy C Roy Charles Hammond (August 3, 1939 – September 16, 2020), better known as Roy C or Roy "C", was an American southern soul singer, songwriter and record executive, best known for his 1965 hit, "Shotgun Wedding". Another song, " Impeach the Pr ...

(1939–2020), American soul and R&B singer and songwriter *

Roy Campanella Roy Campanella (November 19, 1921 – June 26, 1993), nicknamed "Campy", was an American professional baseball player, primarily as a catcher. The Philadelphia native played in the Negro leagues and Mexican League for nine years before entering ...

(1921–1993), American Hall of Fame baseball catcher *

Roy Campanella II Roy Campanella II (born June 20, 1948) is a television director and producer. Biography Born Roy Campanella II, he is the son of professional baseball great Roy Campanella. After directing some short films, the younger Campanella began directi ...

(born 1948), television director and producer, son of the above *

Roy Castle Roy Castle (31 August 1932 – 2 September 1994) was an English dancer, singer, comedian, actor, television presenter and musician. An accomplished jazz trumpet player, he could also play many other instruments. In a career as a versatile perfo ...

(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 Roy Linwood Clark (April 15, 1933 – November 15, 2018) was an American singer, musician, and television presenter. He is best known for having hosted '' Hee Haw'', a nationally televised country variety show, from 1969 to 1997. Clark wa ...

(1933–2018), American country music singer and musician *

Roy Clarke Royston Clarke (born 28 January 1930) is an English comedy writer, best known for creating the sitcoms ''Last of the Summer Wine'', ''Keeping Up Appearances'', ''Open All Hours'' and its sequel series, ''Still Open All Hours''. Early life Cla ...

(born 1930), English comedy writer *

Roy Choi Roy Choi (born February 24, 1970) is a Korean-American chef who gained prominence as the creator of the gourmet Korean-Mexican taco truck Kogi. Choi is a chef who is celebrated for "food that isn't fancy" and is known as one of the founders of ...

(born 1970), Korean-American chef *

Roy Christian Fletcher Roy Christian, (10 October 1943 – 19 November 2024) was a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s and 1970s. A , he captained New Zealand in the sport. Christian also captained the New Zealand Māori ...

(1943–2024), New Zealand rugby league footballer *

Roy Cohn Roy Marcus Cohn ( ; February 20, 1927 – August 2, 1986) was an American lawyer and prosecutor. He first gained fame as a prosecutor of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg in their trials (1952–53) and as Senator Joseph McCarthy's chief counsel duri ...

(1927–1986), American lawyer best known as Senator Joseph McCarthy's counsel from 1953 to 1954 *

Roy Cooper Roy Asberry Cooper III ( ; born June 13, 1957) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 75th List of governors of North Carolina, governor of North Carolina from 2017 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), De ...

(born 1957), American politician and governor of North Carolina (2017–2025) *

Roy Cooper (rodeo cowboy) Roy Dale Cooper (November 13, 1955 – April 29, 2025) was an American professional rodeo cowboy who competed in Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) events for more than two decades. He won the all-around world championship in 1983 an ...

(1955–2025), American rodeo cowboy *

Roy Crossley Roy Crossley (16 October 1923 – 2003) was an English footballer who played in the Football League for Halifax Town. Career Crossley was born in Hebden Bridge and joined Huddersfield Town during World War II. He made three appearances guesti ...

(1923–2003), English footballer *

Roy Degoregore Roy Demanganuwe DegoregoreLast name sometimes spelled "Degorogore", middle name sometimes spelled "Demanwe". (6 February 192224 August 1996) was a Nauruan politician. Biography Roy Degoregore was born on 6 February 1922. He was of the Eamwit tri ...

(1922–1996), Nauruan politician *

Roy DeMeo Roy Albert DeMeo (; September 7, 1940 – January 10, 1983) was an American mobster in the Gambino crime family in New York City. He headed a group known as the "DeMeo crew", which consisted of approximately twenty associates involved in murder ...

(1940–1983), Italian-American mobster *

Roy de Silva Chathurartha Devadithya Gardiyawasam Lindamulage Roy Aloysius Felix de Silva, popularly known as Roy de Silva (රෝයි ද සිල්වා; 30 August 1937 – 30 June 2018), was a Sri Lankan actor and film director in Sri Lankan cinema. ...

(1937–2018), Sri Lankan Sinhala actor and director *

Roy E. Disney Roy Edward Disney Order of St. Gregory the Great, KCSG (January 10, 1930 – December 16, 2009) was an American businessman. He was the longtime senior executive for the Walt Disney Company, which was founded by his uncle, Walt Disney, and his ...

(1930–2009), American businessman *

Roy O. Disney Roy Oliver Disney ( ; June 24, 1893 – December 20, 1971) was an American entrepreneur who co-founded the Walt Disney Company with his younger brother, Walt Disney. He also served as the company's first CEO and was the father of Roy E. Di ...

(1893–1971), American businessman * Roy Dobbin (1873–1939), founding member of the

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) is a professional association based in London, United Kingdom. Its members, including people with and without medical degrees, work in the field of obstetrics and gynaecology, that is ...

Roy Doron Roy Doron (; born April 7, 1990) is an Israeli musician, singer, composer, and music producer. Biography Doron grew up in Ra'anana and studied music at Mor Metro-West High School. Between 2011 and 2014, he studied at "Muzik" College and the ...

(born 1990), Israeli musician, singer, composer, and music producer *

Roy Drusky Roy Frank Drusky, Jr. (June 22, 1930 – September 23, 2004) was an American country music singer and songwriter popular from the 1960s through the early 1970s. Known for his baritone voice, he was known for incorporating the Nashville sound a ...

(1930–2004), American country music singer and songwriter *

Roy Face Elroy Leon Face (born February 20, 1928), nicknamed "the Baron of the Bullpen", is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. During a 16-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, he pitched primarily for the Pittsburgh Pirates. A ...

(born 1928), often referred to as "Elroy Face", American baseball relief pitcher *

Roy Firestone Roy Firestone (born December 8, 1953) is an American sports commentator and journalist. Firestone is a graduate of Miami Beach High School and the University of Miami. Television career Firestone began his career as a sports anchor and report ...

(born 1953), American sports talk show host *

Roy Foster (baseball) Roy Foster (July 29, 1945 – March 21, 2008) was an American outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Cleveland Indians from to . Born in Bixby, Oklahoma, he batted .268 with 23 home runs and 60 runs batted in as a 1970 rookie, a ...

(1945–2008), American baseball player * Roy Gagnon (1913–2000), American football player *

Roy J. Glauber Roy Jay Glauber (September 1, 1925 – December 26, 2018) was an American theoretical physicist. He was the Mallinckrodt Professor of Physics at Harvard University and Adjunct Professor of Optical Sciences at the University of Arizona. Born in N ...

(1925–2018), American physicist and 2005 Nobel prize winner * Roy M. Goodman (1930–2014), New York state senator *

Roy Halladay Harry Leroy Halladay III (May 14, 1977 – November 7, 2017) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies between 1998 and 2013. His nickname, "Doc ...

(1977–2017), American baseball pitcher *

Roy Halliday Vice Admiral Sir Roy William "Gus" Halliday, (27 June 1923 – 23 November 2007) was a British naval pilot who saw service in the Second World War, in the British Pacific Fleet and subsequently became Director-General Intelligence in Britain's ...

(1923–2007), British vice-admiral * Roy Halston Frowick (1932–1990), better known as

Halston Roy Halston Frowick (April 23, 1932 – March 26, 1990), known mononymously as Halston, was an American fashion designer, who rose to international fame in the 1970s. Halston's minimalist, clean designs, which were often made of cashmere or ...

, clothing designer *

Roy Hamilton Roy Hamilton (April 16, 1929 – July 20, 1969) was an American singer. By combining semi-classical technique with traditional black gospel feeling, he brought Soul music, soul to Great American Songbook singing. Hamilton's greatest commercia ...

(1929–1969), American singer *

Roy Hamilton (basketball) Roy Lee Hamilton (born July 20, 1957) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) who is currently a coordinating producer for Fox Sports Net. He played college basketball for the ...

(born 1957), American basketball player and sports television producer *

Roy Hargrove Roy Anthony Hargrove (October 16, 1969 – November 2, 2018) was an American jazz musician and composer whose principal instruments were the trumpet and flugelhorn. He achieved critical acclaim after winning two Grammy Awards for differing styles ...

(1969–2018), American jazz trumpeter *

Roy Harper (disambiguation) Roy Harper may refer to: *Roy Harper (character), DC Comics character :*Roy Harper (Arrowverse), the Arrowverse version of the character *Roy Harper (footballer) (born 1929), Australian footballer *Roy Harper (referee) (died 1969), English football ...

Roy Harris (disambiguation) Roy Harris (1898–1979) was an American classical composer. Roy Harris may also refer to: * Roy V. Harris (1895–1985), American politician, member of the Georgia House of Representatives and the Georgia State Senate * Roy Harris (British Ar ...

Roy Harrison Roy Harrison (born 30 August 1939) is an Irish former cricketer. A right-handed batsman and right-arm Fast bowling, medium pace Bowler (cricket), bowler, he played three times for the Ireland cricket team between 1967 and 1968 including one f ...

(born 1939), Irish former cricketer * Roy M. Harrison (born 1948), environmental chemist *

Roy Hartsfield Roy Thomas Hartsfield (October 25, 1925 – January 15, 2011) was an American second baseman and manager in Major League Baseball; his MLB playing and managing careers each lasted three years. Hartsfield played his entire major league career wi ...

(1925–2011), American Major League Baseball player and manager *

Roy Hattersley Roy Sydney George Hattersley, Baron Hattersley, (born 28 December 1932) is a British politician, author and journalist from Sheffield. A member of the Labour Party, he was MP for Birmingham Sparkbrook for over 32 years from 1964 to 1997, and ...

(born 1932), British politician, author and journalist *

Roy Haynes Roy Owen Haynes (March 13, 1925 – November 12, 2024) was an American jazz drummer. In the 1950s, he was given the nickname "Snap Crackle" for his distinctive snare drum sound and musical vocabulary. He is among the most recorded drummers in ja ...

(1925–2024), American jazz drummer *

Roy Head Roy Kent Head (January 9, 1941 – September 21, 2020) was an American singer, best known for his hit song "Treat Her Right". Head and fellow high school student Tommy Bolton founded musical group The Traits in 1957, with the band, billed as Roy ...

(1941–2020), American country music, rockabilly, and R&B singer *

Roy Hibbert Roy Denzil Hibbert (born December 11, 1986) is a Jamaican–American former professional basketball player. He is a two–time NBA All–Star, and earned NBA All-Defensive Second Team honors in 2014 with the Indiana Pacers. Hibbert was the runne ...

(born 1986), Jamaican-American retired basketball player *

Roy Hodgson Roy Hodgson (born 9 August 1947) is an English former football manager and player. He has managed 22 different teams in eight countries, beginning in Sweden with Halmstad in the 1976 season. He later guided the Switzerland national team to t ...

(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 Siegfried Fischbacher (born Siegfried Tyron Fischbacher; June 13, 1939 – January 13, 2021) and Roy Horn (born Uwe Ludwig Horn; October 3, 1944 – May 8, 2020) were German-American entertainers who performed an animal-based magic show together ...

Roy Howell Roy Lee Howell (born December 18, 1953) is an American former professional baseball third baseman, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1974–1984 for the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, and Milwaukee Brewer ...

(born 1953), American former Major League baseball player *

Roy Lee Jackson Roy Lee Jackson (born May 1, 1954) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played for the New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, San Diego Padres, and Minnesota Twins across 10 seasons. Early years Jackson was born in Opelika, Alabama ...

(born 1954), American former Major League Baseball pitcher * Roy Douglas Jayetileke, Sri Lankan Sinhala army officer *

Roy Jenkins Roy Harris Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Hillhead (11 November 1920 – 5 January 2003) was a British politician and writer who served as the sixth President of the European Commission from 1977 to 1981. At various times a Member of Parliamen ...

(1920–2003), Welsh politician and author * Roy Johnson (pitcher) (1895–1986), baseball pitcher, manager and longtime coach *

Roy Jones Jr. Roy Levesta Jones Jr. (born January 16, 1969) is an American professional boxer. He has held multiple world championships in four weight classes, including middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight. As an amateur he r ...

(born 1969), professional boxer *

Roy Keane Roy Maurice Keane (born 10 August 1971) is an Irish football pundit, former coach, and former professional player. He is best known for his career in the Premier League, in particular his captaincy of Manchester United. He is the joint most ...

(born 1971), Irish former football player and current manager *

Roy Khan Roy Sætre Khantatat (; born 12 March 1970), commonly known as Roy Khan, is a Norwegian singer and songwriter. He is the lead singer for the progressive metal band Conception (band), Conception and the former lead vocalist for the American power ...

(born 1970), former singer of power metal band Kamelot *

Roy Kim Kim Sang-woo (; born July 3, 1993), known professionally as Roy Kim (), is a South Korean singer-songwriter and radio presenter. He began his singing career after winning the television talent show '' Superstar K 4'' in 2012. Kim officially de ...

(born 1993), born Kim Sang-woo, South Korean singer-songwriter *

Roy Kinnear Roy Mitchell Kinnear (8 January 1934 – 20 September 1988) was an English character actor and comedian. He was known for his acting roles in movies such as Henry Salt in the 1971 film ''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory'', Algernon in The Be ...

(1934–1988), English actor *Roy Ladson Jr. (1983-), Lead singer of Roy & Revelation * Roy Lechthaler (1908–1980), American football player *

Roy Li Roy Li Fey Huei, more commonly or affectionally known as Li Fei Hui (Traditional Chinese: 黎沸揮), is a singer from Singapore. For the past two decades, besides penning his own songs and producing his own albums, the musician has been writi ...

(born 1965), Singaporean musician *

Roy Lichtenstein Roy Fox Lichtenstein ( ; October27, 1923September29, 1997) was an American pop artist. He rose to prominence in the 1960s through pieces which were inspired by popular advertising and the comic book style. Much of his work explores the relations ...

(1923–1997), American pop artist * Roy Lopez (American football) (born 1997), American football player *

Roy McMillan Roy David McMillan (July 17, 1929 – November 2, 1997) was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop from 1951 to 1966, most prominently as a member of the Cincinnati Reds, wh ...

(1929–1997), American baseball player * Roy Makaay (born 1975), Dutch footballer and current manager *

Roy Marika Roy Dadaynga Marika (1925 – 1993) was an Aboriginal Australian artist and Indigenous rights activist. He was a member of the Marika family, brother of Mawalan 1 Marika, Mathaman Marika, Milirrpum Marika and Dhunggala Marika. He was the le ...

(c. 1925 – 1993), Aboriginal Australian artist and Indigenous rights activist *

Roy Marten Theodoros Roy Marten, born Wicaksono Abdul Salam (born 1 March 1952), is an Indonesian actor. Life and career Marten was born as Wicaksono Abdul Salam on 1 March 1952 in Salatiga, Central Java, Indonesia. In 1974, he made his acting debut in the ...

(born Roy Wicaksono Abdul, 1952) Indonesian actor *

Roy Masters (commentator) Roy Masters (April 2, 1928April 22, 2021) was an English-born American author, radio personality, businessman and hypnotist. He was the creator of a type of mindfulness meditation exercise, which has appeared in his books and recordings. Master ...

(1928–2021), American talk radio personality * Roy Mbaeteka (born 2000), Nigerian-American football player *

Roy Moore Roy Stewart Moore (born February 11, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer, and jurist who served as chief justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama from 2001 to 2003 and again from 2013 to 2017, each time being removed from office for judic ...

(born 1947), American politician and former state judge * Roy Morris ( – 2011), British Scout Leader, recipient of the Silver Wolf Award * Roy Nachum (born 1979), Israeli contemporary artist *

Roy Nelson (disambiguation) Roy Nelson may refer to: *Roy Nelson (fighter) (born 1976), American mixed martial artist *Roy Nelson (cartoonist) (1905–1956), American cartoonist and caricaturist * Roy Edgar Nelson (1925–2012), Canadian politician *John Doyle (comedian) ...

, 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 Poels (born 1972), Dutch judoka *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 (born 1992), 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 (1931–2008), 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

Surname

*Ajoy Roy (1935–2019), Bangladeshi physicist and human rights activist *Anupam Roy (born 1982), Indian singer and music director *Anuradha Roy (novelist) (born 1967), Indian Bengali novelist and journalist *Arun Roy (1968 or 1969–2025), Bangladeshi cinematographer *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 *Death of Conrad Roy, 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 (1928–2023), 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) (born 1983), Canadian ice hockey player *Mathieu Roy (ice hockey, born 1986) (born 1986), Canadian ice hockey player *Matt Roy (ice hockey), 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 (1920–1944), 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

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 (Fire Emblem), Roy, from the video game ''Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade'' * Roy, from the British sketch show ''Little Britain (TV series), Little Britain'' * Roy, a minor character from the ''Peanuts'' comic strip * Roy Biggins, a major character from ''Wings (1990 TV series), Wings'' * Roy Anderson, from ''The Office (American TV series), The Office'' * Roy Batty, the leader of the renegade replicants in the film ''Blade Runner'' *Rainbow Raider, 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 (character), Roy Harper, a superhero in the DC Comics universe * Roy Hobbs, protagonist of the Bernard Malamud novel ''The Natural'' and The Natural (film), ''The Natural'' (film) * Roy "Jawjack" Kelton, a character from the 1988 film ''14 Going on 30#Cast, 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 (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 (TV series), 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 (TV 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''

References

{{given name, type=both Surnames of Norman origin English-language surnames French-language surnames Given names derived from colors Scottish masculine given names English masculine given names French masculine given names Masculine given names Surnames of Indian origin Bengali Hindu surnames