Roy
Pronunciation/ˈrɔɪ/
GenderMale
Origin
Word/nameOld Norman, Old French, Bengali, Scottish Gaelic
MeaningKing or Red
Region of originWestern Europe
Other names
Alternative spellingRoi
Variant form(s)Leroy, Leroi
Related namesFitzroy, Rex, Rey, Ray, Rai

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

Normandy

Coat of arms of Le Roy, Normandy. Bibliothèque nationale de France.

In France, this family name originated from the Normans, the descendants of Norse Vikings who migrated to Amigny, a commune in Manche, Normandy.[1][2] The derivation is from the Old French roy, le roy (French pronunciation: [ʁwa]), meaning "king". A byname used before the Norman Conquest and a nickname in the Middle Ages.[3] Other spellings that are recorded: Roi, Le Roi and De Roy, meaning "of Roy".[4][5]

Earliest references cite Guillaume De Roy (William of Roy), who was a knight of the Knights Templar and one of several knights and feudal lords (seigneur)[6][7][8] of the Roy family in France.[9][10][11][1]

In Canada and in the United States, the descendants of the families of Roy, Le Roy that immigrated to North America have been granted a coat of arms by the Governor General of Canada.[12][13][14]

England

"Roy" Edward III, King of England. Bruges Garter Book.

After the Norman Conquest, the victorious Normans and their allies settled England and eventually formed the ruling class of nobles called Anglo-Normans.[4] Roy, or Roi was a family name and also a title that was used by the kings of England & royal administration (such as Norroy and Viceroy).[15][16][17] This is seen with patronymic surnames like Fitzroy, from Fi(t)z, meaning "son of" and Roy, "king", denoting the name bearer as a "son of the king".[18][19][20]

Le Roy le veult ("The King wills it"), is a Norman French phrase still used in the Parliament of the United Kingdom to this day as royal assent. A legacy of a time prior to 1488 when parliamentary and judicial proceedings were conducted in Norman.[21][22]

India

In India, Roy is an anglicized variant of the surname Rai, likewise meaning "king". Rai (title) is a historical title of royalty and nobility in the Indian subcontinent used by rulers and chieftains of many princely states.[4]

Scotland

The name Roy is also found in Scotland, an anglicisation from the Scottish Gaelic nickname ruadh, meaning "red".[4]

Given name

Surname

Fictional characters

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (January 2023)

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Du Cluzel de Remaurin, Chevalier. (1863). "Généalogie de la noble et ancienne maison des Le Roy". Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Philosophie, histoire, sciences de l'homme. Retrieved 30 May 2023. Ecrit indifféremment dans quelques actes: Roi, Le Roi, De Roy et Le Roy." "D'origine normande, la noble maison des LE ROY 1, divisée en quatre principales bran-ches, dont nous donnons ici la généalogie, remonte à la plus haute antiquité, c'est-à-dire à ces fiers enfants du Nord (Nort-mans) qui, du fond de la Norwège 2, sous la conduite des Hadding, des Gerlon, des Héric et autres chefs non moins inhumains et farouches, inon-dèrent la Gaule au septième siècle, et ne laissèrent rien d'entier sur leur passage que les traces sanglantes de leur barbarie, la désolation et des' ruines, assiégèrent trois fois Paris et en effrayèrent si fort les habitants..." "GUILLAUME LE ROY, — alias DE ROY, — écuyér, chevalier du Temple..." "D'origine chevaleresque, la maison des LE ROY a donné à l'armée une longue série d'officiers distingués de tous grades, soit dans l'infanterie, la cavalerie, la maison du roi et rartillerie ; elle a eu deux chevaliers de l'ordre du Roi et plusieurs chevaliers de l'ordre royal et militaire de Saint-Louis, des chambellans, des sénéchaux, des gouverneurs, des magistrats intègres dans les baillages et les cours souveraines, et enfin des conseillers du roi et des trésoriers de ses épargnes...
  2. ^ Du Cluzel de Remaurin, Chevalier. Lithographique de Jean Baptiste Joseph Constant, Graveur (1863). "Armorial de la maison Le Roy". Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Philosophie, histoire, sciences de l'homme. Retrieved 15 July 2023. Le Roy Normandie.((cite web)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ "Leroy". Dictionary of American family names. Retrieved 22 May 2023. French: from Old French rey, roy 'king' (from Latin rex, genitive regis) (see Roy.), with the definite article le... King: The word was already used as a byname before the Norman Conquest, and the nickname was common in the Middle Ages...French LEROY.
  4. ^ a b c d Patrick Hankes (2003). Dictionary of American Family Names. Vol. 1. Oxford University Press. p. xcvii. ISBN 0-19-508137-4. Roy: English (of Norman origin): from Old French roi 'king' used as a nickname (see 3 below) and also as a personal name." "French: from Old French rey roy 'king'. Compare Deroy and Leroy." "Indian (Bengal) and Bangladeshi: variant of Rai." "Scottish: nickname for a person with red hair or a ruddy complexion from Gaelic ruadh 'red.'".
  5. ^ Anselme de Sainte-Marie (1733). "Histoire généalogique et chronologique de la maison royale de France, des pairs, grands officiers de la couronne & de la maison du Roy, & des anciens barons du royaume". Compagnie des Libraires, Paris. Retrieved 15 July 2023. Genealogie De La Maison De Le Roy...Guillaume le Roy III, du nom, seigneur de Chavigny, du Chillou...Femme, Françoise de Fontenays...1.René le Roi, seigneur de Chavigny, qui fuit...2.Guyon le Roy, seigneur du Chillou & de Mondon...
  6. ^ "Seigneur Le Roy". France Archives (Portail National Des Archives). Retrieved 14 July 2023. François Le Roy, chevalier de l'ordre du Roi, seigneur de Chavigny, capitaine de 50 hommes d'armes des ordonnances du Roi et lieutenant-général ès pays de Touraine, d'Anjou et du Maine et Antoinette de La Tour, sa femme ...
  7. ^ "Armorial du Saint-Esprit : Seigneur François Le Roy". Bibliothèque nationale de France. Département des Manuscrits. Retrieved 14 July 2023. Recueil de tous les chevaliers de l'ordre du Saint Esprit, depuis l'institution jusques en la presente année mil six cens trente un, avec les armoiries... le tout recueilly et mis en ordre par le Sr DE VALLES, de la ville de Chartres, en Beauce. A Paris.
  8. ^ "Congrès archéologique de France : séances générales tenues ... par la Société française pour la conservation des monuments historiques". Société française d'archéologie. Retrieved 23 August 2023. Du château fort au château neuf Modeste fief de Lerné, la terre de Chavigny, qui relevait du château de Loudun et qui est érigée en châtellenie en 1518, appartenait dès le XIV e siècle â la famille Le Roy. Le 19 juillet 1432, Guillaume Le Roy obtient l'autorisation de fortifier son manoir, qui présente bientôt « fossés, tour, pont-levis, barbacane, mâchicoulis et autres rempare-ments » (5). En 1543, François Le Roy (1519-1606), capitaine d'une compagnie d'archers qui combat en Piémont sous les ordres du maréchal de Brissac, modernise le château familial en bâtissant un corps de galeries (6).
  9. ^ Société académique de Laon (1864). "Bulletin de la Société académique de Laon". Bibliothèque nationale de France. Retrieved 12 July 2023. Procès des Templiers" "Nicolas de Celles; Gauthier de Villesavoye; Etienne de Compiègne; Robert de Montreuil-aux-Lions, pètre; Guillaume de Roy; Geoffroy de Cère; Eloi de Pavant; Raoul et Pierre de Compiègne, Pierre d'Anizy défendront tous l'Ordre.
  10. ^ De Philippe Antoine Grouvelle (1805). "Les Templiers". Mémoires historiques sur les Templiers, ou Éclaircissemens nouveaux sur leur histoire, leur procès, les accusations intentées contr'eux, et les causes secrètes de leur ruine. Retrieved 12 July 2023. Noms des Frères rassemblés le 28 mars 1310, devant les Commissaires charges par le Pape de l'Enquête sur les griefs imputés à l'Ordre du Temple en général... 184. Guillaume De Roy
  11. ^ Alain Demurger (2019). "Guillaume De Roy". The Persecution of the Knights Templar: Scandal, Torture, Trial. Retrieved 12 July 2023. Seven of these nine Templars are also on the list of brothers who came from Gisors on 26 February 1310: Henri Zappellans or Chapelain, Anceau de Rocheria, Enard de Valdencia, Guillaume de Roy, Geoffroy de Cera or de La Fere-en-Champagne, Robert Harle or de Hermenonville, and Dreux de Chevru; the two others, Robert de Mortefontaine and Robert de Monts-de-Soissons, perhaps appear under different names. We don't know the reasons why those nine Templars were not taken back to Gisors. They are catalogued as 'non-reconciled': that is, they had not been absolved and reconciled with the Church by a diocesan commission. They attended neither the Council of Sens nor that of Reims in May 1310. They were from different dioceses: Toul, Sens, Chalons-en-Champagne, Treves but also Soissons (Guillaume de Roy), Laon (Geoffroy de La Fere) and Senlis (Robert Harle).
  12. ^ "Association des familles Roy d'Amérique". Governor General of Canada. Register of Arms, Flags, and Badges of Canada. 1997. Retrieved 5 August 2023. Grant of Arms, September 14, 1997, Vol. III, p. 195. Arms of the Association des familles Roy d'Amérique Blazon Azure upon a base barry-wavy Argent and Azure a 17th century French ship Or sails and flags Argent in chief a man's and a woman's hands clasped Argent the whole between two ears of wheat totaling forty-two grains Or; Crest Blazon A compass rose Argent; Motto Blazon JOIE • FRATERNITÉ • RESPECT, meaning "Joy • Brotherhood • Respect"; Background Canada Gazette Information The announcement of the letters patent was made on November 22, 1997 in Volume 131, page 3591 of the Canada Gazette.
  13. ^ "Tristan Roy". Governor General of Canada. Register of Arms, Flags, and Badges of Canada. 2013. Retrieved 12 August 2023. Mont Royal, Quebec Grant of Arms, with differences to Ariël Thériault-Roy and Lancelot Thériault-Roy August 15, 2013 Vol. VI, p. 254. The blue from the arms of the kings of France symbolizes Mr. Roy's surname ("king" in English). The colour also appears on the flag of the Carignan-Salières Regiment, with which his ancestor, Antoine Roy, served upon arriving in New France in 1665. The ship and waves are taken from the arms of the Association des familles Roy d'Amérique. The compass rose is taken from the arms of the Association des familles Roy d'Amérique and symbolizes exploration and astronomy, two of Mr. Roy's passions. The fleurs-de-lis, symbols of the kings of France, refer to his surname and French roots.
  14. ^ "Plaque de Nicolas Leroy et Jeanne Lelièvre. Vue avant". Gouvernement du Québec, Culture et Communications. 2000. Retrieved 24 August 2023. Association des familles Roy d'Amérique... Texte de la plaque...Hommage à une famille pionnière...Nicolas Leroy et Jeanne Lelièvre arrivés en Nouvelle-France en 1661, de Dieppe, Normandie, établis en la seigneurie de La Durantaye en 1676, et dont plusieurs enfants ont vécu à Saint-Vallier...Dévoilement fait en l'an 2000, à la veille du 325e anniversaire de leur établissement sur la Rive sud.
  15. ^ "Cotton MS Vitellius A XIII/1". Les roys de Engeltere. 1280–1300. Retrieved 28 May 2023. Five rectangles of red linen, formerly used as curtains for the miniatures.ff. 3–6: Eight miniatures of the kings of England from Edward the Confessor (r. 1042–1066) to Edward I (r. 1272–1307); each one except the last is accompanied by a short account of their reign in Anglo-Norman prose. "Sir Lowys fiz le Roy Phylippe de Fraunce" "en engletere: le Roy Jon regna."
  16. ^ "Norroy". Collins English Dictionary. Retrieved 2 July 2023. Word origin C15: Old French nor north + roy king
  17. ^ Burke, Bernard, Sir (1884). "The general armory of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales; comprising a registry of armorial bearings from the earliest to the present time". London : Harrison & sons (Internet Archive). Retrieved 2 July 2023. "Norroy King of Arms", the most ancient of the heraldic sovereigns in England possesses as his province, England north of the Trent. He is the North King — "Norroy." The English Heralds bear the designation of "Windsor", "Chester", "Somerset", "Lancaster", "York" and "Richmond" the Pursuivants, are known by the names of "Rouge Dragon", "Rouge Croix", "Bluemantle" and "Portcullis." The date of the creation of the historic and dignified office of Garter King of Arms may be fixed with certainty to have been between May and September, 1417. The first Garter was William Bruges, originally styled "Guyenne King of Arms" and subsequently "Garteir Roy d'Armes des Anglois." By the constitution of King Henry VIII., it was provided that Garter should be Sovereign within the College of Arms above all the other officers...((cite web)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  18. ^ "Fitzroy". Dictionary of American family names. Retrieved 30 May 2023. Irish: Anglo-Norman French patronymic from fi(t)z 'son' (see Fitz) + Roy 'king son of the king'. It is usually taken to imply that the original bearer was a bastard son of the king...
  19. ^ Bruges, William (1430–1440). "Stowe MS 594". William Bruges’ Garter Book. Retrieved 28 May 2023. Languages: Anglo-Norman
  20. ^ Bruges, William (1430–1440). "Roy Edward (Edward III) manuscript". William Bruges’ Garter Book. Retrieved 28 May 2023. Edward III and Henry, Duke of Lancaster, of the Order of the Garter.
  21. ^ Roemer, Jean (1888). "Le roy". Origins of the English People and the English Languages. Retrieved 23 May 2023. ...the kings of England have retained the custom of using the Old Norman language when they give the royal assent... as: Le roy le veult;
  22. ^ "House of Commons Procedure and Practice Second Edition, 2009". House of Commons Canada. 2009. Retrieved 30 May 2023. He did so using the formulas le roy le veult to signify assent and le roy s'avisera to withhold it. Until the latter part of the reign of Edward III (1327‑77), all parliamentary proceedings were conducted in Norman French. The use of English was extremely rare until the reign of Henry IV (1399‑1413). Beginning with the reign of Henry VII (1485‑1509), English was used for all proceedings, with the exception of the Royal Assent, which was always expressed in French
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