Explore the Family Name Leroy

The meaning of Leroy

French and Walloon; Flemish (also Le Roy); Breton (Le Roy): nickname from Old French rey, roy ‘king’ (see Roy), with (fused) French definite article le. This may occasionally also be a habitational name from Le Roy, the name of several places in various parts of France. Compare Laraway 2 and Laroy. History: This surname is listed (in the form Le Roy) in the (US) National Huguenot Society’s register of qualified Huguenot ancestors and also in the similar register of the Huguenot Society of America. Some characteristic forenames: French Pierre, Jacques, Marcel, Alain, Henri, Alphonse, Andre, Antoine, Christophe, Franck, Hugues, Jean Michel.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Leroy in the United States?

Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Leroy" slightly decreased between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it held the rank of 4338, but by 2010 it had dropped to 4571, marking a decrease of 5.37%. Despite this, the number of people with the surname Leroy actually increased during this time period. In 2000, there were 7,579 individuals with the name, but in 2010, this figure rose to 7,759, an increase of 2.37%. However, when considering the proportion per 100K, there was a decrease of 6.41%, moving from 2.81 in 2000 to 2.63 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#4,338#4,571-5.37%
Count7,5797,7592.37%
Proportion per 100k2.812.63-6.41%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Leroy

In terms of ethnic identity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals some changes between 2000 and 2010. The largest group identifying as "Leroy" remained those identifying as White, though their percentage decreased from 80.87% in 2000 to 78.06% in 2010. In contrast, the percentage of those identifying as Hispanic or Black saw considerable increases over the decade. Hispanic representation rose by nearly 24%, from 3.56% to 4.41%, while Black representation increased by almost 15%, moving from 11.52% to 13.22%. The Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian/Alaskan Native populations also saw growths of 19.3% and 8.29% respectively, although those identifying with two or more races slightly decreased by 1.92%.

20002010Change
White80.87%78.06%-3.47%
Black11.52%13.22%14.76%
Hispanic3.56%4.41%23.88%
American Indian and Alaskan Native1.93%2.09%8.29%
Two or More Races1.56%1.53%-1.92%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.57%0.68%19.3%

Leroy ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Leroy is British & Irish, which comprises 37.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (32.6%) and Italian (4.9%). Additional ancestries include Spanish & Portuguese, Eastern European, Ashkenazi Jewish, Scandinavian, and Indigenous American.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish37.9%
French & German32.6%
Italian4.9%
Other24.6%
Leroy

Possible origins of the surname Leroy

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Leroy have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
West Midlands, United Kingdom68.50%
Greater London, United Kingdom68.50%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom68.00%
Merseyside, United Kingdom67.50%
Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom67.00%

What Leroy haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Leroy is I-Y4760, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-Y4760 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include I-Z58 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Metz, Raab, Harrison, Saunders, Schumacher, Humphrey, May, Schafer, Clemons, Ernst.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Leroy surname are: H1, H, V. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

leroyPaternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170

Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette

Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Leroy have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Leroy

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Leroy" Surname 39.4%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Leroy

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Leroy" Surname 27.7%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Leroy

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Leroy" Surname 25.3%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Leroy

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Leroy" Surname 15.8%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Leroy?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Leroy are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%