2000
#12,650
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,244
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.83
Rare Last name
Ament
Derived from the Old French word "ament," meaning "lover" or "sweetheart."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,535 Americans carry the last name Ament. That puts it at #13,234 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 135,209 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ament 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
2.5K
1 in 135,209
Census rank
#13,234
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,211 bearers of the surname Ament in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13234th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ament, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ament
The surname "AMENT" is of German origin, and it is believed to have originated in the 16th century. This name is derived from the German word "Amt," which means "office" or "position." It was initially used as a descriptive name for individuals who held specific positions or occupations related to administrative or governmental roles.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "AMENT" can be found in the German city of Cologne in the late 16th century. In the city's historical records, there are references to individuals bearing this surname, suggesting that it was already in use during that time period.
The name "AMENT" has also been associated with various place names in Germany, such as Amöneburg, which is a town located in the state of Hesse. It is possible that some individuals with this surname may have originated from or had connections to this area.
In terms of historical figures bearing the surname "AMENT," one notable individual was Johann Ament (1555-1622), a German composer and organist who lived during the Renaissance period. He is known for his contributions to sacred music and his work as a church musician in Nuremberg.
Another prominent figure with the surname "AMENT" was Johann Christoph Ament (1730-1790), a German sculptor and woodcarver from Bamberg. His works can be found adorning various churches and public buildings throughout Germany.
In the 19th century, Carl Ament (1817-1888) was a German-American architect and builder who emigrated to the United States. He designed several notable buildings in St. Louis, Missouri, including the Old Cathedral and the Basilica of St. Louis, King of France.
The name "AMENT" has also been recorded in various historical documents, such as parish registers, census records, and military rolls from different regions of Germany, further attesting to its widespread use and longevity.
It is worth noting that the spelling of the surname may have varied slightly over time, with variations such as "Ament," "Amont," or "Amann" being found in historical records. However, the core meaning and etymology of the name remain consistent, tracing back to its German roots and association with administrative or governmental positions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ament
Among Census respondents with the surname Ament, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Ament 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 Ament surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 2,022
- Two or more races3.9% · 87
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 68
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 17
- Black or African American0.5% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ament
Ament appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#13,138
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,330
+86 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Down 488 places
2020
#13,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,211
-119 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 96 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,650 | 2,244 | 0.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,138 | 2,330 | 0.79 | +86 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 488 places |
| 2020 | #13,234 | 2,211 | 0.74 | -119 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 96 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 Ament 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 | #13,138 | #13,234 | -0.7% |
| Count | 2,330 | 2,211 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.79 | 0.74 | -6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ament bearers went from 2,330 to 2,211 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 96 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,138 to #13,234.
FAQ
Ament surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ament?
Name Census estimates that about 2,535 living Americans carry the surname Ament. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 135,209 residents.
How common is Ament?
Ament ranks #13,234 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,211 people with the surname Ament. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,535), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.74 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Ament.
Has Ament become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ament went from 2,330 recorded bearers to 2,211. That is a decrease of 119 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,138 to #13,234.
What does the Census say about the background of Ament?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ament, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ament in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (2,022 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ament appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Two or More Races (3.9%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Ament (2000, 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 Ament mean?
Derived from the Old French word "ament," meaning "lover" or "sweetheart." 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 Ament (0.74 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 common is the surname Ament?
Find out how many people are called Ament on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.