Coy is an English surname and nickname from the Middle English coy, "quiet" or "shy", which ultimately goes back to the Latin quietus. As a given name it has a long history in the American South, where short, plainspoken names like Roy and Troy have always been at home. Coy entered the US top 1000 in 2003 at number 992, its best year, and has since settled in the 1200s to 1600s, ranking 1451 in 2025.