The word gypsy refers to the Romany or Romani people, a nomadic people who live mainly in Europe. The word gypsy is a corruption of "Egyptian," since in medieval times, people believed that Gypsies came from Egypt. As a first name, Gypsy first came to public attention with the rise to fame of burlesque star Gypsy Rose Lee (born Rose Louise Hovick 1914-1970).See Also: Gitana