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Coy Name Meaning & Historical Trends

Coy

Pronunciation: KOY

Meaning Quiet, shy; son of Aodh Gender Boy
BOYS RANK
#1,451
TREND
56
Peak Years
1926, 1919, 1918
Lowest Years
1893, 1883, 1886
Energy Archetype
Cheerful & Expressive

Rank shows the name’s position among U.S. baby names for each gender in 2025. Trend shows how many places it rose or fell since 2024. Rank 1 is the most popular. Based on U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) data. Peak and lowest years are based on the number of boys named Coy in the available records.

Fun Facts About the Name Coy

  • More than 18 thousand babies named Coy: U.S. records list 18,211 babies given the name Coy from 1880 through 2025. Even 866 girls received the name Coy - about 1 girl for every 20 boys.

What Does the Name Coy Mean?

Coy is an English given name and surname. Its usual meaning is "quiet, shy, or reserved," from the English word coy. That word comes from Middle English coy, borrowed from Old French coi or quei ("quiet, calm, still"), which goes back to Latin quietus ("resting, quiet"). The name began as a nickname for a quiet or modest person, so the meaning is literal rather than symbolic.

In Ireland, Coy is also a surname, sometimes explained as a shortened anglicized form of Mac Aoidh, "son of Aodh." The Gaelic personal name Aodh means "fire" or "fiery." The same patronymic produced the surname McCoy, so Coy in this use is a reduced form. This Irish origin is not always distinguishable from the English nickname, and not every family named Coy has Gaelic ancestry.

Coy Name History & Origins

The English adjective coy is recorded in the Middle Ages with the sense "quiet, modest, reserved"; the later sense of affected shyness developed afterward. The surname Coy began as a nickname for someone of that disposition and is found in medieval England alongside the variant Coye.

The given name Coy is a transferred use of the surname. It is used in the United States and other English-speaking countries, often as a masculine name and occasionally for girls. In Ireland, the surname Coy is linked to the Gaelic patronymic Mac Aoidh, and the first name may sometimes be a short form of McCoy or a family surname rather than a direct use of the English adjective.

In popular culture, Coy Duke was a character on the television series The Dukes of Hazzard in the early 1980s. That is a modern fictional use, not evidence of the name's origin.

How Popular is the Name Coy?

Coy recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1926. Its best rank was #299 in 1910.

U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.

Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.

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How the Name Coy Shapes Your Personality and Life?

You are cheerful and friendly, but are apt to have an emotional life. You like to have several lines of effort going at once. You are a good talker and promoter and seldom worry over anything. At times, you can be impatient, and impulsive. You have the ability to bring an idea to completion. You can express yourself joyously and constructively. You might be psychic, but not know it. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.

You are very intuitive. You have a reservoir of inspired wisdom combined with inherited analytical ability, which could reward you through expressions of spiritual leadership, business analysis, marketing, artistic visions, and scientific research. Operating on spiritual side of your individuality can bring you to the great heights, and drop you off if you neglect your spiritual identity. You are always looking for an opportunity to investigate the unknown, to use and show your mental abilities, to find the purpose and meaning of life. You want to grow wise and to understand people and things. You need privacy to replenish your energy. You have a unique way of thinking, intuitive, reflective, absorbing.

✦ Coy's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Coy's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.
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