Troy

This is a very interesting locational surname. It is of French origins. Recorded in several forms including Troy, Troye, Troyes and Troys, it is from the city of Troyes in France. It was probably introduced into England at the time or shortly after the famous Conquest of 1066, although the first recording we have is not until the Hundred Rolls of 1273, two centuries later. This can probably be explained by missing records, although it is also true to say that for at least the first three centuries after the Conquest, there was regular passage of soldiers and merchants in particular, between the countries. This cross border activity was increased regularly because the kings of England, also laid claim to being the kings of France. Some such as the famous King Henry Vth, took considerable time out to prove their point, holding large areas of France under their sovereignty. The first known recording is probably that of Jacobus de Troye who appears in the rolls for the city of London in 1273. He is also recorded as James de Troys, and this is one of the earliest examples of the use of 'James' as a personal name. The surname has always been quite well recorded in the city of London. Examples from the Napoleonic Period include William Troy who married Eleanor Fitzgerald at St Georges Chapel, Hanover Square, Westminster, in 1793, and a few years later in 1809, that of John Troy who married Maria Moore at the same church. The name is perhaps more popular in the United States, and particularly so in the city of Boston.