Given name & surname · also Irish
Coy
“son of Aodh”·“fire”·“from the woods, the quiet place”
Coy is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “son of Aodh” (Irish), “fire” (Irish), and “from the woods, the quiet place” (English). Other interpretations also occur. These may reflect different naming traditions.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “son of Aodh” (Irish), “fire” (Irish), and “from the woods, the quiet place” (English). Other interpretations also occur. These may reflect different naming traditions.
Where it comes from
A possible origin is Irish, although the derivation remains uncertain.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Coy through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 18,214
- 17,348 boys · 866 girls
- Most popular year
- 1919
- 279 babies
- 2025
- 123
- #1,451 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −14%
- Easing
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 100% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 123 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,451 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 14.4% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 264 in 1926. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (23). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 8,805 as a first name in 2020; 12,304 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Coy’s family of names
Coy has a related form in Coye. Coy has a related form in Coi. In English usage, Coy as a surname has a related form in Mccoy.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Coy
- Luke PerryAmerican actor (1966–2019)
- Coy Watson Jr.American child actor of the silent era (1912-2009)
- Coy CraftAmerican soccer playerborn 1997
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Coy, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Lloyd
“grey(-haired)” · “a gray-haired man; one who is sacred”
>99% boys
Foy
“an adventurous man; a journey”
83% boys · 17% girls
Boyd
“a blonde-haired man”
>99% boys
Orin
“a dark-haired beauty”
99% boys · 1% girls
Olin
“filled with happiness”
>99% boys
Milton
“from the mill town”
>99% boys
Kermit
“one who is free of envy”
>99% boys
Carlyle
“from the fort at Luguvalium”
82% boys · 18% girls