Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Leroy

Leroy is a masculine personal name borrowed from the French, from “le roi”, an affection nickname meaning “the king”. Leroy was adopted by English speakers in the 19th century, although it’s unclear what prompted his usage. Highly popular at the turn of the 20th century, Leroy eventually became a favorite among African-Americans, so much so that the name has become more strongly identified with Blacks rather than Whites today. The most famous name bearer is baseball Hall of Famer Leroy Robert Paige, better known as Satchel Paige (1906-1982), the first Black pitcher of the American League. He apparently received his “satchel” nickname when, as a young boy, he was a bag carrier at the train station. A stand-out player for the Negro Leagues, Paige was the oldest player ever to debut in the Major Leagues at the age of 42. His baseball career spanned an astonishing 40 years and his enthusiastic love for the game was infectious.

All About the Baby Name – Leroy

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME LEROY

The Three energy is powerful and enthusiastic. These personalities are cheerful, full of self-expression, and often quite emotional. They have an artistic flair and "gift-of-gab" that makes them natural entertainers. Their joyfulness bubbles over, and their infectious exuberance draws a crowd. The Three personality is like a child - forever young and full of delight. They are charming, witty, and generally happy people. The Three personality lives in the "now" and has a spontaneous nature. Threes seem to live with a bright and seemingly unbreakable aura that attracts others to them. In turn, they are deeply loyal and loving to their friends and family. Luck also has a tendency to favor number Threes.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME LEROY

As a masculine given name, Leroy dates back to 1880 on our charts (which is the earliest year of available data). At the turn of the 20th century, Leroy was a solid Top 100 choice. In fact, Leroy claimed Top 100 status for nearly 70 consecutive years between 1881 and 1948. We bet most people were unaware of just how popular this name was! By the 1980s, however, Leroy was a name fast falling from fashion. Today he is bouncing on and off America’s Top 1000 list. No longer popular today, this “king” ruled the charts for a long while. Actively shared among Blacks and Whites, Leroy would eventually dominate the African-American community by the 1970s. So much so that the name is still highly associated with Black America (even if it’s out of style today). Incidentally, out of all the “kingly” names on the charts today, Kingston and King have been doing quite well. However, for parents seeking a more subtle way to crown their baby boys “king”, consider a name like Leroy. Other names meaning king? Ryan (Irish), Malik (Arabic), Roy (French), Rory (Scottish), Rex (Latin) and Rey (Spanish). One doesn’t have to be so obvious…

Quick Facts

ON LEROY

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

African-American

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

975

PRONUNCIATION:

LEE-roy

SIMPLE MEANING:

The king

Characteristics

OF LEROY

Communicative

Creative

Optimistic

Popular

Social

Dramatic

Happy

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Leroy

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME LEROY

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Leroy

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME LEROY

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Leroy


Popular Songs

ON LEROY

Mrs. Leroy Brown
a song by Loretta Lynn

Leroy the Redneck Reindeer
a song by Joe Diffie

Leroy
a song by Wheatus

Bring Back That Leroy Brown
a song by Queen

Bad, Bad Leroy Brown
a song by Frank Sinatra

Famous People

NAMED LEROY

Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige (baseball great)
LeRoy Butler (football player)
Leroy Kelly (football Hall of Famer)
Leroy Anderson (American composer)
LeRoy Jolley (horse trainer)
Leroy Shield (film score composer)
Leroy Carr (blues musician)
Leroy Jenkins (jazz musician)
Leroy Lita (English footballer)
Leroy Miller (musician)
"Baby Face" Leroy Foster (blues musician)
Lee Roy Selmon (football Hall of Famer)
Leroy Van Dyke (country musician)

Children of Famous People

NAMED LEROY

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Leroy

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME LEROY

Leroy “Satchel” Paige was the extraordinary Negro League pitcher and Hall of Famer, who made his Major League debut at the unprecedented age of 42, signing with the Cleveland Indians on his birthday. From humble beginnings in Alabama, Leroy Paige gained his famous nickname as a boy toting travelers’ satchels from the train station. (That nickname was to gain fame again in 1987, when Woody Allen and Mia Farrow named their son Satchel – which he, of course, dropped as soon as he was able.) Leroy acquired his formidable pitching skills while in reform school and never looked back – as he famously said – “something might be gaining on you”. His career began in 1926 and ended in 1968, and took him from the Negro Leagues to the Major Leagues in a whirlwind of teams and travels, both in and out of the United States. No less a star than Joe Di Maggio remarked of him: “He was the best and the fastest pitcher I’ve ever faced.” Always a cool guy, Leroy Satchel Paige left an envious legacy unmatched to this day.