Roy Surname: Origin and Coat of Arms
What does Roy mean, and where does it come from? Here is a brief introduction.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Roy coat of arms for you.
Origin of the Roy name
Roy comes from Old French roi, "king", a nickname for a man with a kingly bearing, for someone who served in a royal household, or for the winner of a contest or the king of a festival. It is common across France and is one of the most frequent surnames in Quebec. Scottish Roy is a separate name, from Gaelic ruadh, "red".
Our historical archives hold much more on the Roy name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Roy name in France. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as Canada, the United States and Belgium; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
Get your full Roy family history
Your full Roy pack adds the researched history, early records and migration. Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Roy coat of arms for you.
Roy name FAQ
What does the Roy name mean?
King. Common variants include Le Roy, Leroy, Roi.
Where does the Roy surname come from?
It originates in France, and is also found in Canada, the United States and Belgium.
Is there a Roy coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Roy crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Roy coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: Albert Dauzat & Marie-Thérèse Morlet, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille et prénoms de France; George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).