Where does “Roy” come from?
Roy comes from Anglo-Norman roy, from Old French roi, from Latin rex, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₃reǵ-, meaning to rule or direct.
Ancestry of “Roy”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Anglo-Norman | roy | king; Alternative form of roi |
| 2 | Old French | roi | king |
| 3 | Latin | rēx | — |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | rēks | king |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃rḗǵs | king, ruler |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃reǵ- | to straighten, to right oneself; right; just |