Coy

♂ Boy

Pronounced KOY /kɔɪ/Medium

Meaning: From the English adjective 'coy' ('shy, quiet'), from Old French 'coi' from Latin 'quietus' ('at rest').Medium

In 30 seconds: Coy comes from the English adjective 'coy', meaning shy or quiet, and traces back through Old French to a Latin word for being at rest.

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Origin MediumEnglish

MeaningFrom the English adjective 'coy' ('shy, quiet'), from Old French 'coi' from Latin 'quietus' ('at rest').

U.S. rank (2025)#1451 ↗ Rising

2025 U.S. births123 boys (0.01% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1926

Total births (all-time)≈ 17,345

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

The name is the everyday word coy used directly, describing someone reserved or demure. Its trail runs from Old French 'coi' back to Latin 'quietus', meaning calm or at rest, so a sense of stillness sits underneath it. That makes Coy a short word-name with a gentle, understated meaning.

With a single syllable and a soft finish, Coy has an easygoing, almost drawled feel that fits comfortably in American usage. The link to 'quietus' gives the name a quiet undertone that matches its plain meaning.

Did you know? Coy likely reached first-name use through a surname or place-name route, which gives it that modern borrowed-from-history feel.

Overall data confidence 78%

Behind the Name - Coy — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

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Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

★Coy Bacon (1942-2008)
American NFL defensive lineman and four-time Pro Bowler

If you like Coy…

Roy— Shares Coy's single-syllable shape and rhyming sound.

Troy— Another short '-oy' boys' name with a similar ring.

Clay— A comparable one-syllable English word-name for a boy.

Sky— another English name

Zay— shares the -y ending

Explore names like Coy

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Coy mean?

Coy is usually explained as meaning 'quiet, shy, coy' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Coy?

It's commonly said KOY /kɔɪ/.

Is Coy a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Coy is used as a boy name.

How popular is Coy?

In 2024, Coy ranked #1507 in the U.S. for boys, with 118 births recorded.