Roy
Boy · ROY · Scottish
Roy is a boys' name of Scottish origin, meaning “red”. In 2025 it ranked 780th for boys in the UK (48 babies) and 525th for boys in the US (570 babies).
What does Roy mean?
Scottish: from Gaelic ruadh, red; later linked with French roi, king
“red”
From Gaelic ruadh, red; the outlaw Rob Roy MacGregor was Red Robert, named for his hair.
- Say it
- ROY
More on Wiktionary.
Is Roy a girl's or a boy's name?
Roy is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 48 boys in the UK and 570 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Roy in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #780among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 48about 1 in 6,200 boys
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 61% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 48 boys in the UK were named Roy, making it the 780th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,241st. Its busiest year was 1996, with 66 boys.
2025 had more boys named Roy than any year since 1997.
Half of all the boys named Roy in the UK since 1996 were born between 2001 and 2019. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Among boys in 2025, it was 728th in England and Wales.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1914 (#64), 1924 (#41), 1934 (#17), 1944 (#30), 1954 (#50) and 1964 (#71).
Roy in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 48 | #780 |
| 2024 | 45 | #813 |
| 2023 | 36 | #950 |
| 2022 | 41 | #848 |
| 2021 | 35 | #960 |
| 2020 | 23 | #1,241 |
| 2019 | 30 | #1,037 |
| 2018 | 27 | #1,119 |
| 2017 | 41 | #860 |
| 2016 | 26 | #1,163 |
| 2015 | 32 | #1,005 |
| 2014 | 28 | #1,079 |
| 2013 | 19 | #1,398 |
| 2012 | 25 | #1,166 |
| 2011 | 23 | #1,203 |
| 2010 | 34 | #927 |
| 2009 | 28 | #1,032 |
| 2008 | 33 | #905 |
| 2007 | 24 | #1,102 |
| 2006 | 23 | #1,065 |
| 2005 | 27 | #917 |
| 2004 | 36 | #724 |
| 2003 | 31 | #754 |
| 2002 | 34 | #642 |
| 2001 | 31 | #656 |
| 2000 | 26 | #743 |
| 1999 | 29 | #667 |
| 1998 | 41 | #525 |
| 1997 | 63 | #403 |
| 1996 | 66 | #374 |
How popular is Roy in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #525among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 570about 1 in 3,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadyup 10% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 570 boys in the US were named Roy, making it the 525th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 572nd. Its busiest year was 1947, with 7,560 boys.
It has been given to more boys each year for the last 3 years. 2025 had more boys named Roy than any year since 2006.
Half of all the boys named Roy in the US since 1880 were born between 1925 and 1959, the years shaded on the chart below.
Roy in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 570 | #525 |
| 2024 | 553 | #541 |
| 2023 | 526 | #556 |
| 2022 | 509 | #576 |
| 2021 | 521 | #551 |
| 2020 | 487 | #572 |
| 2019 | 494 | #565 |
| 2018 | 520 | #541 |
| 2017 | 531 | #533 |
| 2016 | 539 | #540 |
| 2015 | 534 | #533 |
| 2014 | 525 | #530 |
| 2013 | 508 | #524 |
| 2012 | 466 | #558 |
| 2011 | 443 | #566 |
| 2010 | 457 | #553 |
| 2009 | 473 | #557 |
| 2008 | 552 | #496 |
| 2007 | 536 | #495 |
| 2006 | 599 | #451 |
| 2005 | 531 | #470 |
| 2004 | 543 | #466 |
| 2003 | 570 | #440 |
| 2002 | 566 | #439 |
| 2001 | 573 | #427 |
| 2000 | 638 | #399 |
| 1999 | 638 | #393 |
| 1998 | 655 | #381 |
| 1997 | 749 | #344 |
| 1996 | 719 | #344 |
| 1995 | 732 | #336 |
| 1994 | 863 | #306 |
| 1993 | 897 | #306 |
| 1992 | 992 | #285 |
| 1991 | 1,129 | #247 |
| 1990 | 1,227 | #235 |
| 1989 | 1,258 | #217 |
| 1988 | 1,164 | #220 |
| 1987 | 1,263 | #203 |
| 1986 | 1,283 | #197 |
| 1985 | 1,379 | #186 |
| 1984 | 1,383 | #182 |
| 1983 | 1,456 | #176 |
| 1982 | 1,617 | #167 |
| 1981 | 1,726 | #157 |
| 1980 | 1,779 | #153 |
| 1979 | 1,753 | #150 |
| 1978 | 1,795 | #147 |
| 1977 | 1,913 | #141 |
| 1976 | 1,871 | #139 |
| 1975 | 2,121 | #122 |
| 1974 | 2,187 | #122 |
| 1973 | 2,236 | #117 |
| 1972 | 2,476 | #114 |
| 1971 | 2,960 | #111 |
| 1970 | 3,041 | #108 |
| 1969 | 3,001 | #105 |
| 1968 | 3,177 | #94 |
| 1967 | 3,276 | #95 |
| 1966 | 3,522 | #94 |
| 1965 | 3,785 | #95 |
| 1964 | 4,149 | #89 |
| 1963 | 4,440 | #89 |
| 1962 | 4,476 | #90 |
| 1961 | 4,966 | #83 |
| 1960 | 5,255 | #80 |
| 1959 | 5,183 | #81 |
| 1958 | 5,525 | #75 |
| 1957 | 6,063 | #65 |
| 1956 | 6,133 | #62 |
| 1955 | 6,331 | #58 |
| 1954 | 6,513 | #56 |
| 1953 | 6,655 | #55 |
| 1952 | 6,524 | #55 |
| 1951 | 6,466 | #52 |
| 1950 | 6,454 | #51 |
| 1949 | 6,622 | #51 |
| 1948 | 7,067 | #49 |
| 1947 | 7,560 | #48 |
| 1946 | 6,925 | #43 |
| 1945 | 6,183 | #40 |
| 1944 | 6,533 | #39 |
| 1943 | 6,932 | #38 |
| 1942 | 6,311 | #42 |
| 1941 | 5,950 | #39 |
| 1940 | 5,565 | #42 |
| 1939 | 5,156 | #42 |
| 1938 | 5,041 | #41 |
| 1937 | 4,890 | #40 |
| 1936 | 4,815 | #42 |
| 1935 | 4,939 | #40 |
| 1934 | 5,104 | #35 |
| 1933 | 4,906 | #39 |
| 1932 | 5,238 | #38 |
| 1931 | 5,489 | #35 |
| 1930 | 5,917 | #33 |
| 1929 | 5,812 | #35 |
| 1928 | 6,229 | #34 |
| 1927 | 6,387 | #34 |
| 1926 | 6,224 | #34 |
| 1925 | 6,376 | #32 |
| 1924 | 6,557 | #31 |
| 1923 | 6,316 | #32 |
| 1922 | 6,458 | #32 |
| 1921 | 6,545 | #32 |
| 1920 | 6,355 | #32 |
| 1919 | 5,970 | #32 |
| 1918 | 6,211 | #32 |
| 1917 | 5,586 | #33 |
| 1916 | 5,327 | #33 |
| 1915 | 5,052 | #32 |
| 1914 | 3,852 | #32 |
| 1913 | 3,090 | #32 |
| 1912 | 2,591 | #31 |
| 1911 | 1,394 | #31 |
| 1910 | 1,267 | #29 |
| 1909 | 1,135 | #28 |
| 1908 | 1,097 | #26 |
| 1907 | 1,128 | #24 |
| 1906 | 1,024 | #24 |
| 1905 | 1,016 | #24 |
| 1904 | 1,123 | #21 |
| 1903 | 975 | #22 |
| 1902 | 1,002 | #22 |
| 1901 | 917 | #20 |
| 1900 | 1,215 | #21 |
| 1899 | 912 | #20 |
| 1898 | 1,049 | #20 |
| 1897 | 999 | #19 |
| 1896 | 1,027 | #19 |
| 1895 | 1,028 | #19 |
| 1894 | 1,018 | #18 |
| 1893 | 919 | #18 |
| 1892 | 1,048 | #18 |
| 1891 | 838 | #18 |
| 1890 | 941 | #18 |
| 1889 | 888 | #18 |
| 1888 | 856 | #20 |
| 1887 | 726 | #20 |
| 1886 | 767 | #20 |
| 1885 | 691 | #24 |
| 1884 | 680 | #26 |
| 1883 | 556 | #30 |
| 1882 | 521 | #33 |
| 1881 | 440 | #34 |
| 1880 | 440 | #37 |
Names like Roy
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Ralph Conn Sidney Douglas George Ray Reid Kenny Regan Hugh Charles James
Names related to Roy
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