Loy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Early Origins of the Loy family
The surname Loy was first found in Bavaria, where the name was closely identified in early medieval times with the feudal society which would become prominent throughout European history. The name would later emerge as a noble family with great influence, having many distinguished branches, and become noted for its involvement in social, economic and political affairs. Like many surnames, Loy began as a personal name, a variant of the French name Eloy or Eloi, which itself came from the Latin name Eligius. Eligius comes from the Latin word "eligere," meaning "to elect or choose." As with many personal names dating from that era, Eloy gained its popularity because it had been born by a famous saint; St. Eloy was a 6th century saint who came to be known as the patron saint of smiths and horses.
Early History of the Loy family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Loy research. Another 94 words (7 lines of text) covering the year 1541 is included under the topic Early Loy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Loy Spelling Variations
Spelling variations of this family name include: Eloy, Elloy, Eley, Elley, Gloy, Gley, Loy, Ley and many more.
Early Notables of the Loy family
Prominent among members of the name Loy in this period include
- the Loy family of Ratisbon
Loy Ranking
In the United States, the name Loy is the 3,967th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Loy is ranked the 5,050th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 2
Loy migration to the United States +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Loy Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Pierre Du Loy, who landed in Virginia in 1700 3
- Ludwick Loy, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1736
- Ludwick Loy, aged 25, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1736 3
Loy Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- James Loy, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1847 3
- Hermann Loy, who settled in New York in 1850
- Hermann Loy, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 3
- Rodolph Loy, who arrived in Mississippi in 1886 3
Contemporary Notables of the name Loy (post 1700) +
- William A. Loy (b. 1895), American farmer and politician who served as a Republican in the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1953
- Myrna Loy (1905-1993), born Myrna Adele Williams, an American film, television and stage actress, awarded an Honorary Academy Award in 1991
- Matthias Loy (1828-1915), American Lutheran theologian in the Evangelical Lutheran Joint Synod of Ohio
- James Milton Loy (b. 1942), American former United States Coast Guard admiral, acting U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security in 2005 and U.S. Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security (2003-2005),Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard (1998-2002)
- Frank E. Loy, American diplomat, business and nonprofit executive, 2nd Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs (1998-2001)
- David Robert Loy (b. 1947), American author and Buddhist philosopher
- Angie Loy (b. 1982), American World Cup and Olympic field hockey forward
- Egon Loy (b. 1931), German former professional football goalkeeper who played from 1954 to 1967
- Rosetta Loy (1931-2022), Italian writer, recipient of the Rapallo Carige Prize for Le strade di polvere (The Dusty Roads) in 1988
- Tristan Loy (b. 1973), French long distance and marathon speedskater
- ... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Suggested Readings for the name Loy +
- The Loy Family in America by Jennie E. Stewart.
Citations +
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)