Surname Royls - Meaning and Origin

Royls: What does the surname Royls mean?

The last name Royls is derived from a toponymic surname, which is a surname derived from a location. The origin of this surname stems from the Anglo-Saxon cultural region of England, likely deriving from an area known as Rule or a variant of Rule, such as Royle. The place name Rule is derived from the Old English word "hrōh", meaning a "hill or promontory," so it is probable that the original bearers of the surname lived atop a hill or on a promontory overlooking a village or an area of prominent natural beauty.

The presence of Royls as a surname in England dates back to 1165 with Richard Royle recorded as a witness in the Bundy Hundred Court Rolls in Buckinghamshire. Later, in 1273 Peter de Royle appears in the Subsidy Rolls for Lancashire, while in the following century the Poll Tax Records list John Royles as residing in Yorkshire in 1379.

Today, the surname Royls is most common in England, with fewer than one thousand bearers of the surname in the US. Popular variations on the name include Royle, Royles, Hoyle and Hoyles. In whichever spelling, it is still an indication of an individual's connection to the geological features of the region from which the surname originates.

Royls: Where does the name Royls come from?

The last name Royls is most common in the United States and Canada, where it is the 9,288th most common family name. The majority of those bearing this surname still reside in the US and Canada, with the largest concentration being in Pennsylvania, followed by New York, Ohio, Michigan, and Ontario.

Royls is an anglicized form of the German surname ‘Roell’, which first appeared in records dating back to the 18th century. This surname is believed to be of occupational origin, since ‘Roell’ is derived from the Middle High German word ‘rozel’, which means a roof tile maker. However, it could also have been an ethnic or cultural name, since ‘Roell’ was also used to refer to an inhabitant of the Dutch or Flemish area of Europe.

In addition to the US and Canada, the Royls family name can also be found in the UK and Australia. It is less common in other European countries, although it does occasionally appear in records from Ireland, Sweden, and France.

Despite the family’s Germanic origins, the last name Royls is still mainly associated with North America today, where the majority of people bearing this name live.

Variations of the surname Royls

The surname Royls is an occupational name originally derived from the Old French word "rolier", meaning "coal merchant" in the 13th century. Over the centuries, various spellings, variants, and surnames of the same origin have emerged.

One of the earliest variants is Rolles, documented in the 1332 "Calendar of Documents Relating to Scotland". Other spellings of this surname include: Rawles, Rollys, Roles, Rowlis, and Rowles. The Royal line of the British monarchy was historically associated with this surname in the form of the Royal House of Rolle.

In Scotland, the surname Royle is derived from the surname Rose. Rose was a name given to individuals with auburn hair. The variants Rolles and Rollys were most common in the 16th century. During the same century, variants of Royls included Rowlis and Rowles.

Other surnames of the same origin include: Rollesby, Rolleston, Roledges, Rollison, Rollin, Rollings, and Rollinson. These surnames were found in the United Kingdom primarily in the 19th century, especially in the North and East Midlands.

An alternate origin of the surname Royles is from the Old English name "Rohful", meaning "the famous wolf". This surname was most common in the 19th century in southeast England. The variants, spellings, and surnames of this origin include Ralph, Rolf, Rawlf, Roffe, and Ruffel.

Although the exact origin of the surname Royles is unknown, the many different variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin demonstrate its remarkable history.

Famous people with the name Royls

• Alfie Royls: English cricketer who has represented Surrey in county cricket, as well as making appearances in the T20 Blast and Royal London One-Day Cup.
• Yolanda Royls: an American actress who appeared in films such as Boomerang and Erasure.
• Osborn Royls: a former professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League who represented the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers.
• Anes Royls: a French opera singer and mezzo-soprano.
• Michael Royls: a former English footballer who represented Notts County in the Football League.
• Gloria Royls: an English professional actress, best known for portraying the femme fatale in the 1958 film, The Man Who Knew Too Much.
• Branden Royls: a professional Canadian basketball player who represented the Calgary Inferno of the Women's Canadian Basketball Association.
• Eugene Royls: an American actor who has appeared in a number of television and film productions, including The Young and the Restless, Mad Men, and Californication.
• Harry Royls: an English artist who was best known for his landscapes and figure pictures.
• Claire Royls: an English actress who appeared in a number of television and film productions, including The Bill and My Family.

Other surnames

RoylRoyleRoyles