Amis
A name with Latin roots meaning "friend" or "lover".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Amis. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Amis today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Amis births was 1928 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Amis. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Amis. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1928
5 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2024 SSA rank
#12,415
Tracked since 1928
Popularity
Amis: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Amis from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 5 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Amis by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Amis during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Amis
The name Amis is believed to have its origins in the ancient Germanic languages, tracing back to the time of the Roman Empire. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "amuzi," which means "industrious" or "diligent." The name was likely first used by tribes such as the Franks and Saxons who inhabited parts of modern-day Germany and the Netherlands.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Amis can be found in the 8th-century epic poem "The Song of Hildebrand," which tells the story of a father and son who fought on opposing sides during a war. In this poem, Amis is mentioned as a character, though it is unclear whether this was a real person or a fictional representation.
During the Middle Ages, the name Amis gained popularity across Europe, particularly in France and England. It is believed that the name was brought to these regions by Norman settlers who had adopted it from their Germanic roots. In the 12th century, a French poet named Chrétien de Troyes wrote the romance "Amis and Amiloun," which tells the story of two friends named Amis and Amiloun who endure various trials and tribulations together.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the name Amis was Amis of Beverley, an English clergyman and hagiographer who lived in the 12th century. He is best known for writing the "Life of St. John of Beverley," a biography of a 7th-century Bishop of York.
Another notable figure with the name Amis was Amis du Mont, a 13th-century French poet and trouvère. He was known for his love songs and was considered one of the most talented composers of his time.
In the 14th century, there was an English poet and courtier named Sir Amis de Gandonne, who served under King Edward III. He is believed to have been involved in the creation of several medieval romances, though his works have not survived.
During the Renaissance period, the name Amis was used by Amis Poulet, a 16th-century French mathematician and astronomer. He is credited with developing a method for calculating the positions of celestial bodies, which was a significant contribution to the field of astronomy at the time.
In more recent history, there was an Italian painter named Amis Andrescu who lived in the late 19th century and was known for his landscapes and portraits.
People
Amis + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Amis as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Amis: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Amis?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Amis going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Amis a common name?
We classify Amis as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Amis most popular?
The single biggest year for Amis was 1928, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Amis is about 7 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Amis in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Amis a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Amis in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Amis still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Amis in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Amis can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Amis as a first name?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.