Leroy (name)

. Written interchangeably in records as: Roi, Roy, Le Roi, and De Roy, the surname Le Roy originated from the Normans, the descendants of Norse Vikings who settled in Amigny, a commune in Manche, Normandy. It derived from the Old French roy, roi (), meaning "king", or "the king" which was a byname used before the Norman Conquest and a personal name in the Middle Ages. The Normans, or "Northmen", after having settled in their new lands in Northern France, quickly adopted the Old French dialects of the region and would later take their language and naming practices with them to England. Norman usage of the spelling variant Roy in written text dates back to the 12th-century Norman poet Wace in Roman de Rou, where he used both the "rei" & "roy" forms for the title of "king". Wace wrote in vernacular Old Norman (also known as Old Northern French), which is among the few records of Old Norman that remain. The Le Roy family is also recorded in the 12th century amongst the other family surnames of the city of Caen in Normandy. ) Originally, Roy may have been a regal name, either from "kingly" bearing, a position of authority, a tournament winner, or one who was in the service of the king. This reflects Norman adaptation of social or martial identifiers — a cultural inheritance from their Viking ancestry, eventually forming a family name that would be passed down. Middle Ages Earliest references cite Guillaume de Roy (William of Roy), who was a knight of the Knights Templar and one of several knights, abbots and feudal lords (seigneur) of the Roy family in France and Switzerland. While born Guillaume Le Roy, the usage of de Roy ("of Roy"), a nobiliary particle, signified hereditary nobility. Medieval court scribes consistently translated vernacular names into Latin. Guillaume de Roy is recorded as Guillelmus de Roy, Templar of the Diocese of Soissons, by the scribes during the Trials of the Knights Templar. Anglo-Norman England , King of England. Bruges Garter Book. After the Norman Conquest, the victorious Normans and their allies settled England and eventually formed the ruling class of nobles called Anglo-Normans. and also a title that was held by the kings of England & royal administration (such as: Norroy "North King" and Viceroy "In place of King"). This is also seen with Anglo-Norman patronymic surnames like Fitzroy, from Fi(t)z meaning "son of" and Roy "king", denoting the name bearer as a "son of the king". Le Roy le veult ("The King wills it"), is a Norman French phrase still used in the Parliament of the United Kingdom to this day as royal assent. A legacy of a time prior to 1488 when parliamentary and judicial proceedings were conducted in Norman, the language of the conquerors after 1066. == North America ==

In Canada and in the United States, the descendants of the families of Roy and Le Roy, who immigrated to North America were granted a coat of arms by the Governor General of Canada. ==Given name, single name, nickname ==

• Leroy (musician), American musician • Leroy, nickname of Australian rules footballer Leigh Ryswyk (born 1985) • Leroy Anderson, American composer • Leroy Baptiste, Trinidad and Tobago politician • Leroy Brown (athlete), Olympic medal-winning American athlete • Leroy Brown (wrestler), a ring name of professional wrestler Roland Daniels • Leroy "Shaq" Buchanan (born 1997), American basketball player • Leroy Burrell, American athlete • Leroy Carr, blues singer and pianist • Leroy Clampitt (born 1992), New Zealand record producer • Leroy Gordon Cooper, American astronaut • Leroy Bowers Crane (1849–1916), American politician and magistrate from New York • Leroy DeLeon (1948–2025), Trinidad and Tobago footballer • Leroy D'Sa (born 1953), Indian badminton player and coach • LeRoy Edwards, American professional basketball pioneer • "Baby Face" Leroy Foster, Chicago blues musician • Leroy George, Dutch footballer • Leroy Griffiths, professional footballer • Leroy Grumman, American aircraft designer and industrialist • LeRoy Hurd, American basketball player • Leroy Hurte (1915–2011) American musician, businessman • Leroy Jenkins (jazz musician), jazz musician • Leroy Jenkins (televangelist), American televangelist • Leroy Jetta, professional Australian rules footballer • Leroy S. Johnson, leader of the polygamist denomination of FLDS • Leroy Leblanc, cajun musician • Leroy Lita, Congolese-born English footballer • Leroy Looper (1924–2011), American community organizer and housing activist in San Francisco • Leroy Major, Bahamian politician • Leroy Nash, American criminal • LeRoy Neiman, American artist • Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige, American professional baseball player • Leroy Parmelee (1907–1981), American baseball player • Leroy Fletcher Prouty, United States Air Force officer • Leroy Rosenior, English footballer and coach • Leroy Sané, German footballer • Lee Roy Selmon, former NFL football defensive lineman • Leeroy Stagger, Canadian alternative country singer-songwriter • Leeroy Thornhill, British electronic music artist • Leroy Van Dyke, American singer • Leroy A. Wilson, American businessman • Leroy Wright, American professional basketball player • LeeRoy Yarbrough, NASCAR racer ==Surname==

• Adolphe Leroy, French entrepreneur, co-founder of Leroy Merlin • Adrian Le Roy (c.1520–1598), French music publisher, lutenist, guitarist, and composer • Adrien Leroy (born 1981), French chess player and poet • Ali LeRoi (born 1962), American television producer and writer • Alphonse Leroy (engraver) (1820–1902), French engraver and photographer • Alphonse Leroy (physician) (1742–1816), French physician and obstetrician • Amélie Claire Leroy (1851–1934), English writer, pen-name Esmé Stuart • André Leroy (1801–1875), French botanist and nurseryman • Benjamin Leroy (born 1989), French professional footballer • Benoît Leroy (born 1982), French retired footballer • Camille Leroy (1892–1952), Belgian racing cyclist • Catherine Leroy (1945–2006), French war photojournalist • Charles-Georges Le Roy (1723–1789), French man of letters • Christelle Leroy and Lucas Leroy (died 2005), French murder victims • Claire Leroy (born 1980), French sailor • Claude Le Roy (born 1948), French football manager and former player • David H. Leroy (born 1947), American lawyer and politician • Dominique Leroy (born 1964), Belgian businesswoman • Edouard Le Roy (1870–1954), French philosopher • Edward Webster Le Roy (1874–1940), American politician and newspaper editor • Emarlos Leroy (born 1975), American former professional footballer • Eugène Le Roy (1836–1907), French novelist • Félix Morisseau-Leroy (1912–1998), Haitian writer • Henri Leroy (1887–1960), Belgian footballer • James Leroy (1947–1979), Canadian singer-songwriter • Jean-François Leroy (1729–1791), French architect • Jennifer LeRoy (born 1974), American model and actress • Jérôme Leroy (composer) (born 1981), French composer • Jérôme Leroy (footballer) (born 1974), French footballer • Jim LeRoy (1961–2007), American aerobatics pilot • José Leroy (born 1957), French boxer • Jules Leroy (1903–1979), French priest and researcher • Julien Le Roy (1686–1759), French clockmaker and watchmaker • Julien-David Le Roy (1724–1803), French architect and archaeologist, son of Julien • Kitty Leroy (c.1850–1877), American dancer, gambler, saloon owner • Lalou Bize-Leroy (born 1932), French businesswoman and winery owner • Laurent Leroy (born 1976), French former professional footballer • Léo Leroy (born 2000), French professional footballer • Louis Leroy (1812–1885), French 19th-century printmaker, painter, playwright • Margaret Leroy, British romantic novelist • Marie-Colline Leroy (born 1984), Belgian politician • Maxime Leroy (1873–1957), French jurist and social historian • Mehdi Leroy (born 1978), French former professional footballer • Mervyn LeRoy (1900–1987), American actor and director • Nolwenn Leroy (born 1982), French singer-songwriter • Oswald Leroy (1936–2022), Belgian mathematician, acousto-optics theorist • Paul Leroy (1860–1942), French painter noted for Orientalist works • Paul Leroy (archer) (1884–1949), French archer, Olympic medalist • Philippe Leroy (1930–2024), French actor • Philippe Leroy (politician) (1940–2019), former member of the Senate of France • Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu (born 1963), French actress • Pierre Le Roy (1717–1785), French clockmaker, son of Julien • Pierre Le Roy de Boiseaumarié (1890–1967), French co-founder of the (INAO) • Robert LeRoy (1885–1946), American tennis player • Roland Leroy (1926–2019), French politician • Serge Leroy (1937–1993), French film director and screenwriter • William Leroy, American reality television personality, actor, businessman • William E. Le Roy (1818–1888), United States Navy admiral • Xavier Leroy (born 1968), French computer scientist and programmer ==Fictional characters==

• "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown", protagonist of a song by Jim Croce • "Leroy Johnson", a character in the film Fame, played by Gene Anthony Ray • "Bring Back That Leroy Brown", subject of a song by Queen • Leroy Encyclopedia Brown, the titular protagonist of the Encyclopedia Brown children's novels • Leroy (South Park), a South Park character • Leroy Jethro Gibbs, a fictional character in the NCIS TV series • Leeroy Jenkins, World of Warcraft character • The fictional Leroy family in the TV show Corner Gas: • Brent Herbert Leroy, one of the main characters in Corner Gas, played by Brent Butt • Emma Leroy, one of the main characters in Corner Gas, played by Janet Wright • Oscar Leroy, one of the main characters in Corner Gas, played by Eric Peterson • Leroy, a junkyard dog in the DIC show, The Catillac Cats. • Leroy Smith, a character from Tekken series == References ==