Roy

Roy or Roi is a masculine given name and a family surname with varied origins. Normandy In France, this family name originated from the Normans, the descendants of Norse Vikings who migrated to Amigny, a commune in Manche, Normandy. The derivation is from the Old French roy, le roy, meaning "king". A byname used before the Norman Conquest and a nickname in the Middle Ages. Other spellings that are recorded: Roi, Le Roi and De Roy, meaning "of Roy". Earliest references cite Guillaume De Roy (William of Roy), who was a knight of the Knights Templar and one of several knights and lords (seigneur) of the Roy family in France. In Canada and in the United States, the descendants of the families of Roy, Le Roy that immigrated from France to North America have been granted a coat of arms by the Governor General of Canada.