Roy
A male given name from Scottish Gaelic.
Every Roy since 1880 — 411,331 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Roy
Roy is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #525 in 2025 with 570 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 411,331 American babies have been named Roy. Its peak came in 1947, when 7,592 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1940s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Roy stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Roy year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | 570 | #525 |
| 2024 | — | — | 553 | #541 |
| 2023 | — | — | 526 | #556 |
| 2022 | 5 | #17,298 | 509 | #576 |
| 2021 | — | — | 521 | #551 |
| 2020 | — | — | 487 | #572 |
| 2019 | — | — | 494 | #565 |
| 2018 | — | — | 520 | #541 |
| 2017 | — | — | 531 | #533 |
| 2016 | — | — | 539 | #540 |
| 2015 | 7 | #14,222 | 534 | #533 |
| 2014 | — | — | 525 | #531 |
| 2013 | — | — | 508 | #524 |
| 2012 | — | — | 466 | #559 |
| 2011 | — | — | 443 | #566 |
| 2010 | — | — | 457 | #555 |
| 2009 | — | — | 473 | #557 |
| 2008 | — | — | 552 | #496 |
| 2007 | — | — | 536 | #495 |
| 2006 | — | — | 599 | #451 |
| 2005 | — | — | 531 | #471 |
| 2004 | — | — | 543 | #467 |
| 2003 | — | — | 570 | #440 |
| 2002 | — | — | 566 | #439 |
| 2001 | — | — | 573 | #428 |
| 2000 | — | — | 638 | #400 |
| 1995 | — | — | 732 | #336 |
| 1990 | — | — | 1,227 | #235 |
| 1985 | 17 | #4,603 | 1,379 | #186 |
| 1980 | 22 | #3,695 | 1,779 | #153 |
| 1975 | 15 | #4,312 | 2,121 | #122 |
| 1970 | 15 | #4,003 | 3,041 | #108 |
| 1965 | 18 | #3,026 | 3,785 | #95 |
| 1960 | 31 | #2,084 | 5,255 | #80 |
| 1955 | 47 | #1,495 | 6,331 | #58 |
| 1950 | 32 | #1,673 | 6,454 | #51 |
| 1945 | 26 | #1,653 | 6,183 | #40 |
| 1940 | 37 | #1,214 | 5,565 | #42 |
| 1935 | 28 | #1,411 | 4,939 | #40 |
| 1930 | 56 | #990 | 5,917 | #33 |
| 1925 | 53 | #1,046 | 6,376 | #32 |
| 1920 | 46 | #1,114 | 6,355 | #32 |
| 1915 | 43 | #1,023 | 5,052 | #32 |
| 1910 | 9 | #1,749 | 1,267 | #29 |
| 1905 | 9 | #1,399 | 1,016 | #24 |
| 1900 | 6 | #1,899 | 1,215 | #21 |
| 1895 | 10 | #1,111 | 1,028 | #19 |
| 1890 | 11 | #866 | 941 | #18 |
| 1885 | 5 | #1,177 | 691 | #24 |
| 1880 | — | — | 440 | #37 |
Famous people named Roy
- Roy Lichtenstein Artist · 1923–1997
- Roy Scheider Actor · 1932–2008
- Roy Orbison Singer · 1936–1988
- Roy Andersson Film director · b. 1943
- Roy J. Glauber Physicist · 1925–2018
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Roy mean?
A male given name from Scottish Gaelic.
How popular is the name Roy in 2025?
Roy ranked #525 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 570 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Roy?
411,331 babies have been named Roy in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Roy most popular?
Roy peaked in 1947, when 7,592 newborns received the name.
Is Roy a boy or girl name?
Roy is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 99% of babies with the name.
Is the name Roy rising or falling?
Roy is on the rise — noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Roy?
Well-known people named Roy include Roy Lichtenstein (artist), Roy Scheider (actor), Roy Orbison (singer).