Surname McRoy - Meaning and Origin
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McRoy: What does the surname McRoy mean?
The surname McRoy is of Scottish origin and is derived from the Gaelic Mac Ruaidh, which translates to "son of Roy". The prefix "Mac" or "Mc" generally denotes "son of" in Gaelic, thus indicating a patriarchal lineage. In this case, "Ruaidh" or "Roy" is a personal name meaning "red", often introduced to denote a person with red hair or a ruddy complexion. Therefore, the surname McRoy can be interpreted as the "son of the red one" or "son of the red-haired". This widespread naming tradition based on the father's name, profession, or personal characteristics was commonly used in Celtic cultures. The name is found in various forms like McRae, MacRae, MacRaith, etc., across Scottish and Irish communities.
Order DNA origin analysisMcRoy: Where does the name McRoy come from?
The last name McRoy is most commonly associated with the United States and the UK and Ireland. Within the U.S. there is a particularly large concentration of people who bear the McRoy surname in the Southern states, most notably in the states of Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas.
In the UK and Ireland, the McRoy name originates from Scotland and is found mainly in the North East and North West of Scotland. It is also a fairly common surname in Northern Ireland.
In addition, McRoy can also be found in smaller concentrations in other countries around the world such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Germany, France, and South Africa.
McRoy is not a very old surname and it appears to have been used since around the 18th century, when many Scotsmen started to expand their horizons and head to different parts of the world in search of a better life.
The McRoy name is still fairly common today and it is likely that people with this surname are descended from those original settlers who left Scotland centuries ago. Although it is not as prevalent as it once was, it is likely that the name will continue on for many years to come.
Variations of the surname McRoy
McRoy is a surname of Irish and Scottish origin. Variants of this surname, as well as other spellings and surnames of the same origin, include McCroy, McCrae, McRae, MacRae, MacRay, MacCrae, MacCray, and MacKrae.
The Irish form of the surname is Mac Raith. It is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic Mac Raghadha, which means 'son of Raghadha'. In Scotland, the name is derived from Mac Gille Riabhaich, which is Scottish Gaelic for 'son of the Servant of Saint Gregory'.
Other variants of the name include McCrorey, MacCrower, McKay and Roy. The spelling has also been changed to Roy over the years due to the proximity of the 'Mc' portion of the surname to the word roy in many records.
The early spelling of McRoy is shown in the records of both Ireland and Scotland. In Ireland, the earliest proven record is in a marriage entry for one Robert McRoy in the year 1685, while in Scotland, the earliest is a record of Walter MacRoy from the year 1534.
To this day, McRoy is still found as a surname in Ireland and Scotland. With its variants, spellings and other surnames of the same origin, it is possible to trace many modern families back to their common ancestral locations.
Famous people with the name McRoy
- Karen McRoy: American television actress
- Mark McRoy: former player for the National Football League
- Cody McRoy: American baseball player
- Aimee McRoy: award-winning American author
- Simon McRoy: professional British rally driver
- Caitlin McRoy: American LPGA golfer
- Rosemary McRoy: Australian swimmer
- Robert McRoy: British-Canadian physicist
- Allen McRoy: former professional football player
- Anna McRoy: Canadian rock climber and mountaineer