Hoy as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Hoy

What is the meaning of the name Hoy ?

The baby name Hoy is a Male name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced /hɔɪ/ (rhymes with "boy").

Hoy is English, Irish, Scottish in Origin.

Hoy is an English- and Scots-language surname turned given name, pronounced HOY. Most directly it points to the Orkney island of Hoy, whose name comes from Old Norse Háey, “high island” (há ‘high’ + ey ‘island’). In Irish and Ulster contexts, Hoy can also represent an anglicized form of the Gaelic family name Ó hEochaidh, ultimately from Eochaidh “horseman,” giving the name an alternate sense linked to horses and swiftness.

Used sparingly as a first name from the late 19th century, especially in Scotland, Ulster-Scots communities, and the American South, Hoy fits the tradition of adopting concise surnames as given names. Rarity persists today, lending it a brisk, modern feel. Spelling variants and related surnames include Hoye and Hoey; Hoyt is sometimes associated but arises separately. The name’s meanings are commonly glossed as “high island” or, via Gaelic lineage, “descendant of Eochaidh/horseman.”