2010
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Amet
A French surname, derived from the Old French word "ameté", meaning "beloved" or "dearly loved".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Amet. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Amet 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Amet in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Amet, the largest self-reported group is White at 42.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (31.3%) and Black (15.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Amet
The surname AMET is believed to have originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Old French word "amee," meaning "loved" or "beloved." The name may have initially been a nickname given to someone who was well-loved or highly regarded within their community.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname AMET can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of lands and landholders commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Amed," likely an early spelling variation of AMET.
In the 12th century, a notable figure named Raoul AMET was mentioned in chronicles as a knight who fought alongside Richard the Lionheart during the Third Crusade (1189-1192). Raoul AMET's bravery and loyalty were praised by his contemporaries.
During the 13th century, the AMET surname began to spread across various regions of France. In the northern town of Amiens, records from the year 1273 mention a landowner named Jean AMET, whose estate was located near the River Somme.
The 14th century saw the emergence of a prominent family bearing the AMET surname in the Burgundy region of eastern France. One notable member was Guillaume AMET (c.1320-1385), a respected vintner and merchant who established a successful wine trading business.
In the 15th century, the AMET surname gained recognition in the city of Paris. Jacques AMET (1425-1490) was a skilled architect and stonemason who contributed to the construction of several notable buildings, including the Church of St-Germain-l'Auxerrois.
Throughout the centuries, the AMET surname has maintained a presence across various regions of France and has also spread to other parts of Europe and beyond. While its origins can be traced back to medieval France, the name has evolved and taken on diverse meanings and associations over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Amet
Among Census respondents with the surname Amet, the largest self-reported group is White at 42.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (31.3%) and Black (15.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Amet 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 Amet surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White42.6% · 49
- Hispanic or Latino31.3% · 36
- Black or African American15.7% · 18
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.1% · 7
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Amet
Amet 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
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-2 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,649 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 3,649 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 Amet 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 | #142,108 | #145,757 | -2.6% |
| Count | 117 | 115 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Amet bearers went from 117 to 115 (-1.7% change). The surname moved down 3,649 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #145,757.
FAQ
Amet surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Amet?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Amet. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Amet?
Amet ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Amet. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Amet.
Has Amet become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Amet went from 117 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Amet?
Among Census respondents with the surname Amet, the largest self-reported group is White at 42.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (31.3%) and Black (15.7%). 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 Amet in the 2020 Census, accounting for 42.6% (49 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Amet appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (42.6%), Hispanic (31.3%), Black (15.7%). 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 Amet (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 Amet mean?
A French surname, derived from the Old French word "ameté", meaning "beloved" or "dearly loved". 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 Amet (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 people have the last name Amet?
Find out how many people are called Amet on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.