Choy

Meaning & origin●

Attested across 2 languages in the etymology graph.

Languages●

Language is read off each record's context, not declared by the bearer; a share is of all records for this spelling.

Other names spelled this way◐

Choy is also recorded as 3 other names, grouped separately because the records behind them do not connect to the one described above.

• Spanish surname20K records spelled Choy6 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in Peru, Mexico, United States, Guatemala

  Also written Chöy, Choÿ, Çhöy, Çhoy, Çhöÿ

• French surname2.2K records spelled Choy4 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in France, United States, Spain, Malaysia

  Languages: French, Catalan

  Also written Chöy, Çhôy

• Thai given name1.4K records spelled Choy146 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in Thailand, Myanmar (Burma), United States, Malaysia

  Languages: Thai, Burmese, Lao

  Also written Shwe, จอย, ช้อย, Choi, จ้อย

62 further groups record this spelling and are not listed here.

Grouping is the name graph's, not a register's: two spellings join a group when the evidence links them, so a group is a claim about the records rather than about the people.

Other recorded senses●

Choy is also recorded in 3 other lexicons, as a different name or as an ordinary word. These are senses of the spelling, not of the name above.

• In Cebuano, buddy; an informal or friendly address to a stranger, usually male.

  as a word·kaikki.org Wiktionary extract (IPA + transliterations)

• In Spanish, a surname from Cantonese

  as a word·kaikki.org Wiktionary extract (IPA + transliterations)

• In enm, alternative form of sche

  as a word·kaikki.org Wiktionary extract (IPA + transliterations)

Ordered by how much of this spelling's record each language holds, so a sense from a language the name is barely used in sits last rather than first.

Over time●

FR INSEE — Fichier des noms de famille (1891–2000) — 11 years between 1891–1991. One register's own figures, never a sum across registers: two registers counting the same people would double them.

Notable people with this name●

• Cai Lunb. 48CNnot in their usual nameChinese official credited with inventing paper (died 121)
• Choi Hong-hib. 1918KPnot in their usual nameKorean army general and martial artist (1918–2002)
• Choi Kyu-hahb. 1919KRnot in their usual name4th President of South Korea (1919–2006)
• Choe Ryong-haeb. 1950KPnot in their usual nameChairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea
• Tsai Ing-wenb. 1956TWnot in their usual name14th and 15th President of Republic of China (Taiwan)
• Choi Min-sikb. 1962KRnot in their usual nameSouth Korean actor
• Kenneth Choib. 1971USnot in their usual nameAmerican actor
• Jolin Tsaib. 1980TWnot in their usual nameTaiwanese singer, songwriter, and actress (born 1980)
• Choi Min-hob. 1991KRnot in their usual nameSouth Korean rapper, singer and actor
• Albert Tsaib. 2004USnot in their usual nameAmerican actor (born 2004)

The ten people covered by the most Wikipedia language editions — a proxy for cross-cultural notability, which favours historical and Western figures over equally prominent contemporary ones — shown by birth year. Source: Wikidata (CC0).

Evidence●

Register rows as of the 2026-09-12 data build · 62 rows in the corpus for this spelling.

Frequently asked questions

How common is the name Choy?

We estimate roughly 5.8 thousand people bear Choy (counting its spellings and scripts) across 14 countries in our records.

In which country does Choy have the most bearers?

Choy is most frequently recorded in Malaysia, where it is most often spelled choy.

How common is Choy compared with other names?

In Malaysia, Choy is the 357th most common surname of 241,605 surnames recorded there.

What does the name Choy mean?

Recorded meaning: A surname from Korean or Cantonese.