2010
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Amboy
A surname denoting an immigrant from Amboy, New Jersey.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Amboy. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Amboy surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Amboy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Amboy, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 69.4%. The next largest groups are White (21.6%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Amboy
The surname Amboy has its origins in Spain, tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Spanish phrase "al amboy," which translates to "at the bay" or "by the bay." This suggests that the name may have originated from individuals who lived near a bay or coastal area.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Amboy can be found in historical records and documents from the Spanish colonization of the Americas. It is closely associated with the settlement of Amboy, New Jersey, which was established in the 17th century by Spanish and Dutch colonists.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Amboy was Juan de Amboy, a Spanish explorer and cartographer who accompanied the famous conquistador Hernán Cortés on his expeditions to Mexico in the early 1500s. He played a crucial role in mapping the newly discovered territories and documenting the indigenous cultures encountered during these expeditions.
In the late 17th century, a prominent figure named Diego de Amboy was a Spanish captain who led a group of settlers to the region now known as Amboy, New Jersey. He established a trading post and settlement along the bay, which eventually grew into the modern-day city of Perth Amboy.
Another notable individual with the surname Amboy was María de Amboy, a Spanish noblewoman who lived in the 16th century. She was known for her philanthropic efforts and her support for the arts and education in her local community.
During the 18th century, a renowned artist named Francisco de Amboy gained recognition for his intricate paintings and murals that adorned churches and public buildings throughout Spain and its colonies.
In the 19th century, a military officer named Alejandro Amboy distinguished himself in the Spanish-American War, earning numerous accolades for his bravery and strategic leadership.
While the surname Amboy is relatively uncommon today, its rich history and connection to the early Spanish exploration and settlement of the Americas make it a significant part of the cultural tapestry of both Spain and the United States.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Amboy
Among Census respondents with the surname Amboy, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 69.4%. The next largest groups are White (21.6%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Amboy bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Amboy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander69.4% · 77
- White21.6% · 24
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 5
- Two or more races3.6% · 4
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Amboy
Amboy appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 730 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Up 730 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Amboy surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #149,395 | #148,665 | 0.5% |
| Count | 110 | 111 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Amboy bearers went from 110 to 111 (+0.9% change). The surname moved up 730 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #148,665.
FAQ
Amboy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Amboy?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Amboy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Amboy?
Amboy ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 111 people with the surname Amboy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Amboy.
Has Amboy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Amboy went from 110 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Amboy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Amboy, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 69.4%. The next largest groups are White (21.6%) and Hispanic (4.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Amboy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.4% (77 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Amboy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (69.4%), White (21.6%), Hispanic (4.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Amboy (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Amboy mean?
A surname denoting an immigrant from Amboy, New Jersey. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Amboy (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Amboy?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.