Leroy

History & Origin

Leroy comes from Old French le roi, meaning the king. As a French surname it was given to those who worked in a king's household, bore a regal bearing, or took the role of a king in a mystery play or feast. The surname traveled to Britain and subsequently to America. As a given name, Leroy was particularly fashionable in the United States from the late 19th century through the mid-20th century, with especially strong use in African-American communities during the early 20th century, where French-origin names carried a certain cultural dignity and prestige.

Leroy reached its peak popularity in the United States between roughly 1910 and 1950, becoming a quintessential name of its era. It carries the warm associations of the mid-century American vernacular, evoked in cultural touchstones from jazz and blues music to mid-century film. The name has since faded from the top charts but retains a vintage cool — similar to Earl, Roy, and Clifton — that makes it an occasional retro choice. The variant Lee Roy or Leeroy has also been used.