Surname Royds - Meaning and Origin
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Royds: What does the surname Royds mean?
The surname Royds is of English origin and is a locational name derived from places named with the Old English pre 7th Century elements "raw" or "roe" which mean "row of houses" and "hrycg" meaning "ridge". Thus, it can be interpreted as "dweller at the row houses by the ridge". This surname is associated with different locations in West Yorkshire named Rishworth, Ryshworth or Rushworth. Originally, surnames were developed in the Middle Ages for distinguishing purposes when populations were increasing and more people had the same first names. Surnames often referred to location, occupation, physical features, or even personal characteristics. Therefore, a person with the last name Royds might have had ancestors who lived near or at the row houses by the ridge. The spelling of surnames also often changed over centuries based on phonetic simplifications.
Order DNA origin analysisRoyds: Where does the name Royds come from?
The surname Royds is most commonly found in England, where it typically originates. According to current information from the General Register Office, there are between 7,000-10,000 people in England with the surname, with Greater Manchester having the highest concentration of Royds. The County of Lincolnshire in the East Midlands also has a relatively high amount of Royds.
Outside of England, Royds typically crops up in Commonwealth countries as many emigrants from the UK kept it as their family name. Canada appears to be one of the few places where the surname appears more frequently than in the United Kingdom, having around 600-800 people with the name from coast to coast.
The United States also has a significant number of Royds living in all 50 states, including large chunks in Texas, California and New York. The exact number of people with the name is unknown; however, an unrecorded amount of immigrants have settled in the country over the years bringing the surname to US shores.
Moreover, the name is said to also be present in Scotland where it is rumored to originate, along with France, Ireland, The Netherlands, and South Africa, amongst other places where English settlers of the time ventured to.
Overall, the last name Royds is found around the world, but it is most strongly connected to England and its affiliated regions.
Variations of the surname Royds
The surname Royds is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is derived from the Old English word "rod" which means clearing. It is in most cases found as 'Royds' but there are several possible variations of this spelling including: Roid, Roidz, Roides, Roids and Roysd.
The surname Royds is very rare and is most commonly found in Lancashire and parts of Yorkshire, with Lancashire being the geographical centre of its frequency.
Royds is also found as a double-barrelled surname. One version of this is 'Royd-Vale', which is a combination of the surnames 'Royds' and 'Vale'.
In other English-speaking countries, Royds can sometimes be spellt as Royce or Roys. It can also be found as a shortened variant of 'Royds-Henderson', which is a combination of 'Royds' and 'Henderson'.
In Scotland, variants of 'Royds' are McLeod and McCloud. In Ireland variants of this surname are Ó Maoldhomhnaigh and O’Mealy.
In French-speaking countries the surname 'Royds' is found as Roy and in Netherlands it is mainly spelt as Roijs/Roijsen.
The name Roydd was established in medieval Scotland and is an anglicised form of the Gaelic name 'Mac an Bhreitheamhanaigh', which is derived from the names Breitheamh, 'judge', and 'Mac an Bhreithain' meaning 'son of the judge'.
Despite the various variants of the surname Royds, it is still identified as of common origin.
Famous people with the name Royds
- Emily Royds: An English actress best known for starring in the TV series Judge John Deed and Night and Day.
- Amanda Royds: English fashion designer, entrepreneur and television presenter.
- Douglas Royds: Actor, writer and director, best known for his roles as 'Rob Kane' in The Bill, and 'D.I Billflower' in The Bill.
- Georgia May Royds: English actress known for her roles in Bright Young Things and No Angels.
- David Royds: English composer, musician, songwriter and record producer.
- Raffaello Royds: British ADVENTURER and explorer, best known for his work in the Pacific Islands.
- Edith Royds: Actress best known for her performances in several British television series.
- Mark Royds: British Actor, best known for his lead role in the BBC TWO comedy series '15 Storeys High'.
- Henry Royds: British actor and television presenter, best known for presenting the series 'Cycling with the Royds' on Channel 4.
- Hazel Royds: British journalist and writer, best known for her work in several newspaper and magazine articles.