2000
#20,359
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,214
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.45
Rare Last name
Amer
A surname derived from the Arabic word "amir" meaning ruler or commander.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,681 Americans carry the last name Amer. That puts it at #12,611 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 127,846 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Amer 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Amer with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 127,846
Census rank
#12,611
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,338 bearers of the surname Amer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12611th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Amer, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (11.9%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Amer
The surname Amer has its roots in the Middle East and can be traced back to the Arabic language. The name is derived from the Arabic word "amir," which means "prince" or "commander." It is believed that the surname originated during the medieval period, when individuals with positions of authority or nobility were often given titles or descriptive names related to their roles.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Amer can be found in historical documents from the 12th century, referring to individuals from regions that are now part of modern-day Syria and Lebanon. The name was particularly prevalent among influential families and those with connections to the ruling class or military leadership.
During the Crusades, which lasted from the late 11th to the late 13th century, several notable figures with the surname Amer emerged. One such individual was Amer al-Din, a Muslim commander who fought against the Crusaders in the Battle of Hattin in 1187. His bravery and strategic skills were well-documented in contemporary chronicles.
As the name spread across the Middle East, it eventually found its way to other regions through trade, migration, and conquest. In the 14th century, there are records of individuals with the surname Amer living in parts of North Africa, particularly in present-day Morocco and Algeria.
One of the most famous bearers of the name Amer was Amer ibn al-As, a prominent figure in early Islamic history who lived from 592 to 658 CE. He was a companion of the Prophet Muhammad and played a significant role in the Muslim conquest of Egypt in the 7th century.
As the surname Amer continued to spread, it also found its way to Europe through various means, including immigration and cultural exchange. In the 16th century, there are records of individuals with the surname Amer residing in parts of Spain and Italy, likely due to the historical connections between these regions and the Middle East.
Another notable figure with the surname Amer was Abd al-Rahman Amer, a 20th-century Egyptian military officer and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Egypt from 1965 to 1967. He played a prominent role in the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 and the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Throughout history, the surname Amer has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including scholars, military leaders, politicians, and influential families. While its origins can be traced back to the Middle East, the name has taken on various spellings and forms as it spread across different regions and cultures.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Amer
Among Census respondents with the surname Amer, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (11.9%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Amer 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 Amer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.4% · 1,834
- Asian and Pacific Islander11.9% · 279
- Two or more races3.8% · 88
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 81
- Black or African American2.4% · 55
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Amer
Amer 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
#18,601
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,481
+267 bearers (+22.0%)
Per 100,000 0.50
Rank movement Up 1,758 places
2020
#12,611
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,338
+857 bearers (+57.9%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Up 5,990 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,359 | 1,214 | 0.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #18,601 | 1,481 | 0.50 | +267 bearers (+22.0%) | Up 1,758 places |
| 2020 | #12,611 | 2,338 | 0.78 | +857 bearers (+57.9%) | Up 5,990 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 Amer 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 | #18,601 | #12,611 | 32.2% |
| Count | 1,481 | 2,338 | 57.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.50 | 0.78 | 56.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Amer bearers went from 1,481 to 2,338 (+57.9% change). The surname moved up 5,990 positions in the national ranking, going from #18,601 to #12,611.
FAQ
Amer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Amer?
Name Census estimates that about 2,681 living Americans carry the surname Amer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 127,846 residents.
How common is Amer?
Amer ranks #12,611 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.78 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 2,338 people with the surname Amer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,681), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.78 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 Amer.
Has Amer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Amer went from 1,481 recorded bearers to 2,338. That is an increase of 857 (+57.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #18,601 to #12,611.
What does the Census say about the background of Amer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Amer, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (11.9%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Amer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.4% (1,834 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Amer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (11.9%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Amer (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 Amer mean?
A surname derived from the Arabic word "amir" meaning ruler or commander. 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 Amer (0.78 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 people are called Amer?
You can see how common the surname Amer is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.