Roy - Family Name

Family Name

Roy is a common surname in India, France, Scotland and many English-speaking countries. In India, it is an anglicized version of Roy Chowdhary or Rai Chowdhary, also written as Ray. The name comes from the same root as the Sanskrit word Raj, which is also the root of the Latin word rex (king), English reign and royal, all of which stem from the common Proto Indo-European ancestor language. In French, "Roy" means King.

The English surname may come from the same root, probably via French word roi (meaning king); it can also come from a Middle English term meaning a female roe deer, or from the place-names Rye and Wray, among other possible roots.

People with the surname include:

  • Ajoy Roy (born 1935), physicist and human rights activist in Bangladesh
  • Annadashankar Roy, Bengali author and poet
  • Anuradha Roy, Indian novelist and journalist
  • Arundhati Roy, Indian novelist and peace activist
  • Bidhan Chandra Roy, Indian politician
  • Bimal Roy, film director
  • Brandon Roy, American basketball player
  • Drew Roy, American actor
  • Bryan Roy, Dutch football (soccer) player and current manager
  • Claude Roy (politician), Canadian politician
  • Deep Roy, actor
  • Derek Roy, Canadian ice hockey
  • Eric Roy, New Zealand politician
  • Éric Roy, French footballer
  • Fabien Roy, politician
  • Falguni Roy, Bengali poet
  • Gabrielle Roy, author
  • Indra Lal Roy, Indian First World War flying ace
  • Jahor Roy, Bengali actor and comedian
  • James Roy, Australian author
  • Jeffrey Roy, American fund manager
  • Jean Sebastien Roy, motocross rider
  • Jean-Yves Roy, politician
  • Juthika Roy, Indian bhajan singer
  • Kalidas Roy, Bengali poet
  • Kanu Roy, Indian film actor, and music composer
  • Leela Roy, Indian leftist politician, independence activist and social reformer
  • M. N. Roy, Indian-born philosopher and revolutionary
  • Mathieu Roy, Canadian ice hockey player
  • Patrick Roy, Canadian ice hockey player
  • Prafulla Chandra Roy, Bengali academic and entrepreneur
  • Prannoy Roy, Indian media personality
  • Prasanna Kumar Roy, Indian educationist
  • Ram Mohan Roy Indian religious, social and educational reformer
  • Rahul Roy, Indian film actor
  • Shahzad Roy, Pakistani pop singer, social worker
  • Subrato Roy, Indian businessman
  • Subodh Roy, Indian independence activist
  • Sylvie Roy, Canadian politician
  • Tarapada Roy, Bengali author
  • William Roy, Scottish surveyor

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