Roy

Did you know?

A few things about Roy you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Roy

Roy J. Glauber

American theoretical physicist (1925–2018)

Choose Roy and your child shares a first name with Roy J. Glauber, an American theoretical physicist. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Roy, like who?” Roy J. Glauber's Wikipedia article is available in 73 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Roy J. Glauber on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Markus Pössel (User name: Mapos), CC BY-SA 3.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 2,997 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Roy, 570 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Roy would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryRoy has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Roys, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1894, when it ranked #18. Today it's #525, so it could be due a comeback.
• 🚀TrendRoy has climbed 47 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #525. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
• 📍Where it's lovedRoy is most popular in Montana, where it ranks #149, followed by New Hampshire (#230) and New Mexico (#311). It's in the top 1,000 in 36 states.
• 💬MeaningIn Scottish, Roy means “red”. Our records link it to Celtic, English and French roots.

About the name Roy

Roy is a boy name of Celtic, English and French origin meaning “red”. It has 3 letters and 1 syllable, starting with R and ending in “-roy”. US birth records list Roy for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1894, when it ranked #18 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #525, with 570 babies.

Origin:Celtic namesEnglish namesFrench namesIrish namesScottish names