Roy

Roy derives from the Scottish Gaelic word ruadh, meaning red, originally used as a nickname for someone with red hair or a ruddy complexion. It was borne notably by the Scottish folk hero Rob Roy MacGregor, whose epithet popularized the name beyond its regional origins. In some English-speaking contexts Roy has also been reanalyzed as a simplified form of the Old French roy, meaning king, lending it an additional regal association. Related forms include Roi and the feminine Roya.