Is Roy southern?

[kerrycl]

I want to use the name Roy for a baby boy, which comes from the side of my family tree that comes from Indiana. I realize it's a little bit out of fashion right now, but I think it's classic and "normal" enough that people would quickly get used to it, and I really like the warm, friendly sound of the name which matches the stories I've heard about the ancestor that this little boy would be named after. My husband doesn't hate the name, but thinks it will be perceived as very southern...which we aren't especially. I'm curious to know what other people think. Is Roy a generic, all-American name, or a specifically south of the Mason-Dixon line one?

[agirlinred]

Roy is certainly not generic, nor does it come off as especially Southern to me. Honestly I just picture a friendly old man when I hear the name Roy, but I think it would be very refreshing on a little guy.

[kerrycl]

Thanks! I think "friendly" describes exactly what I like about the name.

[lis09]

I'm in the midwest and don't consider it southern. I agree it sounds friendly. The only Roy I have known was an older relative, who was dearly loved by my family. I think it would work great on a boy and would love to meet a little Roy.

[nat108]

Roy isn't Southern. Maybe hubby is getting a Roy Rogers image; he was from Ohio and portrayed a cowboy. I'd say that's Western/Midwest

[dizzy]

I really like Roy. It definitely sounds laid back and open - traits that are often identified with Southerners, but not traits exclusive to the region. And yeah, there's an Old West image, thanks to Roy Rogers, but thats not Southern, and it adds to the name's charm.

[neuilly]

I grew up with a Roy who's about 32 right now - and I'm originally from Maine. I don't think Southern. I sort of understand where you're coming from, but I don't think that's the reality. And I agree with others that it seems like a "friendly" name.

[kerrycl]

Thanks all! I did some more research, and it looks like my husband is somewhat right in that Roy disappeared out of the top 100 names in the South later than it did in the rest of the country...but I think that only makes it Southern in the same sense that something like "Billy" might be more common in the South; more traditional, less trendy & more likely to be named after a father or a grandfather. (Unlike something like Billy Bob, in which case I feel like you better have some Southern heritage to back that up or else it just feels out of place). I really appreciate everyone sharing their impressions and input!