Guy

Guy

See also: guy, GUY, guþ, and Guy.

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡaɪ/
• Rhymes: -aɪ

Etymology 1

PIE word
*dwóh₁

From Old French Gui, a form of Proto-Germanic *Wido, a short form of names beginning with the element *widuz (“wood”), such as Witold and Widukind. Cognate with Italian Guido and thus a doublet of Guido. More at wood.

Proper noun

Guy (plural Guys)

1. A male given name from the Germanic languages.
   • 1613, William Shakespeare; [John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act V, scene iv]:

     I am not Samson, nor Sir Guy, nor Colbrand, / To mow 'em down before me;

   • 1990, Ruth Rendell, Going Wrong, →ISBN, page 157:

     "Guy," he said. He said it slowly and with a certain puzzlement. He said it again, thoughtfully, as if it were a name of someone he had known long ago but couldn't quite place. "Guy. Yes - don't you find it difficult being called that? I mean, if Nora hadn't said, I'd have put you down as a Kevin, or a Barry. Yes, Barry would suit you."
     He looked like an innocent child, smiling, wide-eyed, his cheeks plump and rosy, defying the object of his insults to take offence. For they were insults, Guy was in no doubt about that. Leonora's brother was implying that his name was far too upper-class for its possessor.

   • 2016, Nathan Hill, The Nix: A novel, Vintage, →ISBN, page 596:

     “She was a new student. I was a counterculture hero. Back then I went by a different name. Sebastian. Sexy, right? And so much better than Guy. You can't be a counterculture hero and a Guy. That name is way too average. […]

2. A surname originating as a patronymic.

Related terms

• Wyatt

Translations

male given name

Armenian: Գվիդոն (Gvidon), Գի (Gi) Catalan: Guiu Chinese: Mandarin: 蓋／盖 (zh) (Gài) Czech: Kvido Esperanto: Vito French: Guy (fr) Galician: Guido (gl) German: Veit (de) Hebrew: גאי‎, גַּיְא‎ (he) Hungarian: Gujdó (hu), Vitold (hu) Italian: Guido (it) Latin: Guidus Latvian: Gvido m Lithuanian: Gvidas Polish: Gwido Portuguese: Guido (pt) Russian: Гай (ru) m (Gaj) Serbo-Croatian: Roman: Gvido, Vid (sh) Sicilian: Vitu m, Vita f Slovene: Gvido Spanish: Guido (es)

Noun

Guy (plural Guys)

1. (Britain) An effigy of Guy Fawkes burned on Bonfire Night

Etymology 2

From the Hebrew name גַּיְא‎ (gáy, literally “valley”), with the spelling influenced by the existing English name.

Proper noun

Guy

1. A male given name from Hebrew.
2. A surname.

Etymology 3

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Proper noun

Guy

1. A city in Arkansas.
2. A hamlet in Alberta, Canada.

Statistics

• According to the 2010 United States Census, Guy is the 1,227^th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 28,852 individuals. Guy is most common among White (67.88%) and Black (24.98%) individuals.

Anagrams

• yug

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French

Etymology

From Middle French Guy, from Old French Gui, from Old High German Wido, a short form of names beginning with the element Proto-Germanic *widuz (“wood”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡi/

Proper noun

Guy m

1. a male given name, equivalent to English Guy

Related terms

• Guillon
• Guion
• Guyon

 

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Norman

Etymology

From Old French Gui, a form of Old High German Wido, a short form of names beginning with the element *widuz (“wood”), such as Witold and Widukind.

Proper noun

Guy m

1. a male given name, equivalent to English Guy

Related terms

• Guytounet