2000
#1,499
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,855
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.10
Uncommon Last name
Ames
Derived from the Old French for "friend," likely referring to a person who was well-liked or kind.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 24,179 Americans carry the last name Ames. That puts it at #1,666 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 14,176 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ames 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 Ames with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
24K
1 in 14,176
Census rank
#1,666
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
21K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 21,085 bearers of the surname Ames in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1666th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ames, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.1%. The next largest groups are Black (7.5%) and Hispanic (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ames
The surname Ames has its origins in the French language, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "aime," meaning "beloved" or "loved one." This name was likely given as a nickname or a descriptive name to someone who was greatly admired or cherished in their community.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Ames can be traced back to the 12th century in the regions of Normandy and Brittany in France. In medieval records, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Aimé, Aymé, and Amé, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time.
One of the earliest known references to the name Ames can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a landowner named Aimé in the county of Cambridgeshire, England, suggesting that the name had already made its way across the English Channel by the 11th century.
As the name spread across Europe, it evolved into various forms, including Ames in England and Amos in Scotland. Some notable individuals bearing this surname include:
1. William Ames (1576-1633), an English Protestant theologian and philosopher, known for his work "Medulla Theologica."
2. Joseph Ames (1687-1759), an English bibliographer and antiquary, best known for his work "Typographical Antiquities."
3. Fisher Ames (1758-1808), an American politician, diplomat, and one of the founding members of the Federalist Party.
4. Nathaniel Ames (1708-1764), an American almanac maker and innkeeper from Dedham, Massachusetts.
5. Adelbert Ames (1835-1933), a Union Army general during the American Civil War and later a senator from Mississippi.
The name Ames has also been associated with various place names throughout history. For example, the town of Ames in Iowa, USA, was named after Oakes Ames, a prominent railroad entrepreneur and congressman. Similarly, the town of Amesbury in Massachusetts took its name from the combination of "Ames" and "bury," an Old English word for a fortified town or settlement.
Throughout its long history, the surname Ames has carried a sense of endearment and affection, reflecting the original meaning of the Old French word "aime." Its presence in various records and its association with notable individuals across different fields showcase the widespread adoption and adaptation of this name over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ames
Among Census respondents with the surname Ames, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.1%. The next largest groups are Black (7.5%) and Hispanic (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Ames 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 Ames surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.1% · 17,308
- Black or African American7.5% · 1,575
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 1,029
- Two or more races3.8% · 791
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 259
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 123
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ames
Ames 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
#1,598
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,385
+530 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 7.59
Rank movement Down 99 places
2020
#1,666
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,085
-1,300 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 7.05
Rank movement Down 68 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,499 | 21,855 | 8.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,598 | 22,385 | 7.59 | +530 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 99 places |
| 2020 | #1,666 | 21,085 | 7.05 | -1,300 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 68 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 Ames 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 | #1,598 | #1,666 | -4.3% |
| Count | 22,385 | 21,085 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 7.59 | 7.05 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ames bearers went from 22,385 to 21,085 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 68 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,598 to #1,666.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Ames
FAQ
Ames surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ames?
Name Census estimates that about 24,179 living Americans carry the surname Ames. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 14,176 residents.
How common is Ames?
Ames ranks #1,666 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.05 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 21,085 people with the surname Ames. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (24,179), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.05 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Ames.
Has Ames become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ames went from 22,385 recorded bearers to 21,085. That is a decrease of 1,300 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,598 to #1,666.
What does the Census say about the background of Ames?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ames, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.1%. The next largest groups are Black (7.5%) and Hispanic (4.9%). 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 Ames in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.1% (17,308 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ames appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.1%), Black (7.5%), Hispanic (4.9%). 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 Ames (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 Ames mean?
Derived from the Old French for "friend," likely referring to a person who was well-liked or kind. 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 Ames (7.05 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 have the surname Ames?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.