Troy recalls the ancient city of Homer's Iliad, but as a first name it comes mostly from an English surname meaning "from Troyes", a town in France; an Irish surname meaning "foot soldier" is another source. Quarterback Troy Aikman and actor Troy Donahue kept it visible in American pop culture. In the United States Troy ranked number 225 in 2000 and has drifted gently down since, to number 533 among boys' names in 2025.