Meaning and background
The story behind Choy
Choy has Chinese and Guatemalan Mayan surname histories. The Dictionary of American Family Names records Cantonese forms for several distinct Chinese surnames. It also gives a Mayan route connected with ch’oy, a rat or mouse, and a possible alternative involving a lake. Those explanations belong to different traditions. The Mayan animal sense is not a universal translation of Choy, and Chinese use requires the relevant written character.
- Origin
- Cantonese Chinese surname forms; independently a Guatemalan Mayan surname with distinct vocabulary explanations. Source
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Everyday moments“Choy, come here!”
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About Choy
Recorded as a dog’s name
Choy appears in 2 dog licence records in the 2022 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/tʃɔɪ/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the first syllable in the recorded US readings.
View dictionary notation
/tʃɔɪ/ · primary stress on syllable 1CH OY1
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (2)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.