Leroy

Leroy, LeRoy, Leeroy, LeeRoy, Lee Roy, or Le Roy is often a male given name. It is also used as a surname. The name is derived from Old French, meaning "The King" (Le Roi in Modern French).

Origin

During the Renaissance and until the French Revolution some French people named Leroy at their birth were illicit sons of notable Lords of France. The child could not receive his father's noble name, so to give him some notable recognition he would receive Leroy as name. A line of Leroy living in France, originally in Anjou and Picardie are known to be illicit descendants of King Louis XVI himself. But in most cases the name was given in the 12th to 15th century to someone proud and selfish as a sobriquet. Variants can then be Koenig (King in German) or Deconinck (Belgian). It is also possible that Roy, Roi, or Leroi was given in the Middle Age to someone who used to win at a popular game.

People

Given names

• Leroy (musician), an American musician
• Archbishop LeRoy Bailey Jr., senior pastor of The First Cathedral, Bloomfield, Connecticut
• Leroy Griffiths, a professional football (soccer) player
• Leroy Jenkins, a jazz musician
• Leroy S. Johnson, a leader of the polygamist denomination of FLDS
• Leroy Lita, a professional football (soccer) player
• Lee Roy Selmon, a former NFL football defensive lineman
• Leeroy Stagger, a Canadian alternative country singer-songwriter
• Leeroy Thornhill, British electronic music artist
• Leroy A. Wilson, US businessman
• LeeRoy Yarbrough, NASCAR racer
• Leroy Jetta, Professional Australian Rules player
• Lee Roy J. Pitre, Sr., Master carpentor of cajun decent

Surnames

• Catherine Leroy, French war photojournalist
• Edouard Le Roy, French philosopher (1870-1954)
• JT LeRoy, pseudonym of American writer Laura Albert
• Jennifer LeRoy, an American model and actress
• Julien Le Roy, French clock- and watch-maker (1686-1759)
• Mervyn LeRoy, American actor and director
• Nolwenn Leroy, a French singer
• Robert LeRoy, a tennis player from New York

Fictional characters

• Leroy (Lilo and Stitch character)
• Leroy (South Park), a South Park character
• Leroy Jethro Gibbs, a fictional character in the NCIS TV series
• Leeroy Jenkins, World of Warcraft character
• Brent LeRoy, Character on Corner Gas played by Brent Butt

Places

• Le Roy, Illinois
• Le Roy, Iowa
• Le Roy, Kansas
• Le Roy, Michigan
• Le Roy, Minnesota
• Le Roy (town), New York
  • Le Roy (village), New York
• Leroy, Texas
• Leroy, Wisconsin
• Leroy Township, Calhoun County, Michigan
• Leroy Township, Ingham County, Michigan
• Leroy Township, Pennsylvania