Leroy
A French surname meaning “the king,” originally a nickname for someone acting in a kingly way or serving a royal household.
The #4,571 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 39,792 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Leroy comes from Old French le roy, meaning “the king.” The name is built from the definite article le (“the”) plus roy, an older spelling of roi (“king”). In surname use, it could label someone who was connected with a king, behaved in a regal way, or was given the nickname “the king.”
History
The surname is well established in France and appears in medieval and later records in forms such as Le Roy and Leroy. It is also found in French-speaking regions beyond France and later spread more widely through migration. English-language surname writers often grouped it with other prestige or status surnames like Royal and Rex.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Surname writers note that the nickname Rey/Rey was already older than the fixed surname Leroy, showing how common medieval nicknames could turn into hereditary family names.
From the historical record
“Neale Leroy Nee Linty”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom