Roy
A Scottish byname and surname from Gaelic ruadh, meaning red, given for red hair or complexion. The French word roi, king, later colored how it was read.
Roy in 2025
Roy was given to 570 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 1,065th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 5,816 babies born.
The history of Roy
Roy reached its highest point in 1947, when 7,592 babies were given the name, ranking 96th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 70th, in 1930.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 411,331 babies have been named Roy. Half of them were born before 1943, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Silent Generation.
Roy by decade
| Decade | Babies named Roy | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 6,597 | 72 |
| 1890s | 9,859 | 74 |
| 1900s | 10,714 | 84 |
| 1910s | 40,629 | 72 |
| 1920s | 63,803 | 72 |
| 1930s | 51,876 | 70 |
| 1940s | 66,007 | 78 |
| 1950s | 62,182 | 106 |
| 1960s | 40,308 | 172 |
| 1970s | 22,524 | 233 |
| 1980s | 14,455 | 308 |
| 1990s | 8,601 | 465 |
| 2000s | 5,581 | 839 |
| 2010s | 5,024 | 1,093 |
| 2020s | 3,171 | 1,065 |
Where Roy is heading
Roy has risen 5% over the past decade, from 541 babies in 2015 to 570 in 2025.
Names like Roy
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Roy.