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Home β€Ί Baby Names Directory β€Ί Loy

Loy

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Loy

Pronounced LOY /ˈlΙ”Ιͺ/Medium

Meaning: Loy is a short, plain name whose exact source is uncertain. It reads most naturally as a clipped pet form of Louise or Eloise, though it also existed as a surname, most famously that of the actress Myrna Loy. In some Southern families it may simply be a spoken short form carried over as a birth name.Low

In 30 seconds: Loy is a short girls' name of uncertain origin, most likely trimmed from Louise. It was a quiet early-century rarity that faded by the nineteen-seventies (said LOY).
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Origin LowEnglish
MeaningLoy is a short, plain name whose exact source is uncertain. It reads most naturally as a clipped pet form of Louise or Eloise, though it also existed as a surname, most famously that of the actress Myrna Loy. In some Southern families it may simply be a spoken short form carried over as a birth name.
U.S. rank (1974)#9584 β†˜ Falling
1974 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1940
Total births (all-time)β‰ˆ 872
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Popularity in the U.S. Β· SSA data

peak 194018951974

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

Loy is one of those tiny names that resists a tidy origin. The likeliest read is a spoken short form of Louise or Eloise, though the surname Loy - shared by the film star Myrna Loy - shows the same spelling in another lane.

As a girl's name it was always faint, drifting near a modest high around 1940 before fading out by the nineteen-seventies. Its single soft syllable puts it beside Joy, Faye and other short vintage girls' names.

Did you know? Loy is so short it hides its history: it may be a snippet of Louise, a family surname, or simply a fond spoken nickname that a parent wrote on a birth record.
Overall data confidence 42%
References - Loy β€” Likely short form of Louise; also a surname (Myrna Loy); origin uncertain

Variations

LoyeLoieLoi

Nicknames

Loy

Famous Bearers

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If you like Loy…

Joyβ€” a one-syllable vintage girl's name with the same ring
Floyβ€” a rare short girl's name of the same era
Loisβ€” a related short vintage name
Coyβ€” a brief single-syllable contemporary

Explore names like Loy

By themeuncertainvintageshort

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Loy mean?

Its origin is uncertain; it is most likely a short pet form of Louise, or a family surname.

How do you pronounce Loy?

It's said LOY /ˈlΙ”Ιͺ/, one syllable, rhyming with 'boy'.

Is Loy a boy or girl name?

In these records Loy is used as a girl's name.

Is Loy a popular name?

No, it was always rare and had faded from American records by the nineteen-seventies.

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