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Leroy Name Meaning, Origins & History

Leroy

Pronunciation: LEE-roy / luh-ROY

Meaning King Origin surnames Gender Boy
BOYS RANK
#888
TREND
26
Peak Years
1924, 1935, 1927
Lowest Years
1880, 1881, 1883
Energy Archetype
Wise & Balanced

Rank shows the name’s position among U.S. baby names for each gender in 2025. Trend shows how many places it rose or fell since 2024. Rank 1 is the most popular. Based on U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) data. Peak and lowest years are based on the number of boys named Leroy in the available records.

Fun Facts About the Name Leroy

  • Decades of popularity: Leroy stayed in the U.S. top 100 for 68 consecutive years, from 1881 through 1948.
  • More than 202 thousand babies named Leroy: U.S. records list 202,153 babies given the name Leroy from 1880 through 2025. Even 1,182 girls received the name Leroy - about 1 girl for every 170 boys.

What Does the Name Leroy Mean?

Leroy means "the king." It comes from the French phrase le roi, "the king," whose Old French form was le rei. The word behind it is Latin rex (genitive regem), meaning "king." The name reached English not as a French word but as a surname of Norman French origin, usually written Le Roy, Le Roi, or later Leroy. In other words, the literal sense "the king" was attached to a family name first, and the given name Leroy is a transferred use of that surname.

Leroy Name History & Origins

As a surname, Leroy belongs to the stock of names brought to England by Norman French speakers after the Norman Conquest of 1066. Forms such as le Rei and le Roy appear in medieval records, the second element reflecting the Old French word for king. French surnames of this type could arise in more than one way: as a nickname, as an occupational or service name connected with a royal household, or as a name given to someone who played the king in a pageant or play. Which of these explains any particular family is usually not recoverable, and the same spelling can descend from different origins.

The given name is a later development, created by moving the surname into first-name use. This pattern was common in English-speaking countries, especially in the United States, where surnames were freely adopted as first names in the 18th and 19th centuries. Leroy appears as a male given name in American records by the early 1800s and remained in steady general use through the 20th century, alongside spelling variants such as LeRoy and the two-word form Lee Roy. It has also occasionally been given to girls.

The French surname Leroy is among the most common family names in France, and the name also exists independently as a place name in the United States. In literature and song, Leroy appears as a character name, including the title figure of Jim Croce's 1973 song "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown"; such uses are fictional and came long after the name was established.

How Popular is the Name Leroy?

Leroy remained among the top 100 boy names in the U.S. from 1881 to 1948. Its highest annual birth count was in 1924, and people born that year turn 102 in 2026.

U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.

Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.

Explore Name Lists Featuring Leroy

Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.

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How the Name Leroy Shapes Your Personality and Life?

You always bring to completion anything you start. You are generous but like to see returns from your giving. You have an executive ability, you are a leader. You are moral, balanced, honest and intellectual, and you may attain spirituality. You are wise and practical with an appreciation of beauty. You always think before you act. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.

Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.

✦ Leroy's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Leroy's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.
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