Amory
A masculine given name derived from the Old French name Amorie, meaning "beloved".
Name Census estimates that about 1,229 living Americans carry the first name Amory. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 51.8% of registrations being male. The average person named Amory today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Amory births was 2020 (71 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Amory. 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
- • Amory sits in rare territory as a truly gender-neutral name, given to boys and girls in near-equal numbers.
People living today
1.2K
~ 1 in 278,889 Americans
Peak year
2020
71 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,422
Tracked since 1915
Gender
Gender distribution for Amory
Amory is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 1,290 total registrations, 668 (51.8%) were male and 622 (48.2%) were female.
Amory as a male name
- Ranked #4,422 in 2024
- 23 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2019 (39 births)
Amory as a female name
- Ranked #7,969 in 2024
- 13 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2020 (33 births)
Popularity
Amory: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Amory from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 395 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Amory remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Amory 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 Amory during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Amorys live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. Texas, California, New York recorded the most babies named Amory, while New York, California, Texas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 25 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Amory
The given name Amory has its origins in the French language and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "aimerie," which means "beloved" or "loved one." The name likely evolved from the Latin root "amare," meaning "to love."
During the medieval period, the name Amory was particularly popular in France and other parts of Europe influenced by French culture. It was often bestowed upon children as a symbol of affection and the hope for a loving and cherished life.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Amory can be found in the 13th-century French epic poem "Roman de la Rose." In this literary work, a character named Amory represents the allegorical figure of love and devotion.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Amory. Among them is Amory de Montfort (1241-1287), a French nobleman and military leader who fought in the Eighth Crusade. Another historical figure is Amory Loring (1619-1672), an English colonist in Massachusetts and a prominent landowner in the early days of the American colonies.
In the realm of literature, Amory Blaine is the protagonist of F. Scott Fitzgerald's semi-autobiographical novel "This Side of Paradise," published in 1920. Fitzgerald's depiction of Amory as a young, introspective, and ambitious Princeton student drew inspiration from his own experiences.
Another notable bearer of the name was Amory Lovins (born 1947), an American physicist, environmentalist, and author known for his work on energy policy and sustainability. His influential book "Soft Energy Paths" (1976) advocated for a transition towards renewable and efficient energy sources.
In the field of music, Amory Kane (1904-1981) was an American composer and pianist who collaborated with notable artists such as Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway during the Harlem Renaissance era.
While the name Amory has its roots in the French language and medieval Europe, it has transcended cultural boundaries and has been adopted in various parts of the world, particularly in English-speaking countries, as a testament to its enduring appeal and connection to themes of love and affection.
People
Amory + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Amory 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
Amory: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Amory?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,229 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Amory 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 278,889 US residents.
Is Amory a common name?
We classify Amory as "Rare". It ranks above 91.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,290 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Amory most popular?
The single biggest year for Amory was 2020, when 71 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Amory is about 20 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Amory a male name?
Yes, 51.8% of people registered as Amory 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.
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.