Find out how popular the last name Amay is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Amay.

Amay, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Amay surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Amay in America

Amay is the 128249th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Amay surname appeared 133 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Amay.

The history of the last name Amay

The surname AMAY is believed to have originated in France during the Middle Ages. It was derived from the Old French word 'amaie', which meant 'beloved' or 'friend'. The name was likely given as a nickname to someone who was considered a dear friend or a beloved person in their community.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name AMAY can be found in the Cartulaire de l'abbaye de Saint-Père de Chartres, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 12th century. This document mentions a person named 'Robertus Amay', suggesting that the name was already in use by that time.

In the 13th century, the surname AMAY appeared in the rolls of the Testa de Nevill, an important record of landowners and feudal tenants in England. This indicates that individuals bearing this name may have migrated from France to England during the Norman Conquest or shortly after.

During the 14th century, the name AMAY was mentioned in the Calendars of Inquisitions Post Mortem, which were records of inquiries into the lands held by tenants after their deaths. This suggests that the name had become established in England by that time.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname AMAY was Guillaume Amay, a French nobleman who lived in the 12th century. He was a vassal of the Count of Champagne and held lands in the village of Amay, which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the name.

Another notable figure was Jean Amay, a French scholar and theologian who lived in the 15th century (born around 1420, died around 1490). He was a professor at the University of Paris and wrote several treatises on theology and philosophy.

In the 16th century, Pierre Amay (born around 1520, died around 1585) was a prominent French architect who worked on several notable buildings, including the Château de Chambord and the Château de Fontainebleau.

During the 17th century, Jacques Amay (born around 1610, died around 1675) was a French playwright and poet who wrote several comedies and tragedies that were performed in Paris.

In the 18th century, Marie-Thérèse Amay (born around 1730, died around 1810) was a French botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of plants and their classification.

While the surname AMAY has its roots in France, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through migration and the movement of people over centuries. However, its origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages, where it emerged as a nickname or descriptive name reflecting the close bonds of friendship and affection.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Amay

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Amay.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Amay was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Amay was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Amay, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!