Find out how popular the last name Amo is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Amo.

Amo, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Amo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Amo in America

Amo is the 26143rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Amo surname appeared 936 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Amo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Amo to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Amo

The surname Amo has its origins in Italy, tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word 'amo,' meaning 'I love.' The earliest known records of the name can be found in various historical documents from the 13th century, particularly in the regions of Tuscany and Lombardy.

One of the earliest documented instances of the Amo surname appears in the Florentine tax records of 1260, where a certain Gherardo Amo is listed as a resident of the city. Another notable mention is found in the Codex Diplomaticus Amiatinus, a manuscript from the Benedictine monastery of Monte Amiata, which refers to a Petrus Amo in the year 1290.

In the 14th century, the name gained prominence with the rise of the Amo family in Florence. This family produced several notable figures, including Matteo Amo (1325-1397), a prominent banker and merchant who played a significant role in the city's economic and political affairs. Another member of this family, Giovanni Amo (1370-1437), was a respected jurist and served as a judge in the Florentine court.

Moving forward to the Renaissance period, the Amo surname was associated with several artists and intellectuals. One notable figure was Bartolomeo Amo (1516-1592), a renowned sculptor and architect who worked on various projects in Italy, including the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence.

In the 17th century, the name appeared in the works of the Italian writer and philosopher Giambattista Vico (1668-1744), who mentioned an Amo family from Naples in his book "Scienza Nuova" (New Science). Additionally, the Neapolitan painter Luca Giordano (1634-1705), also known as Luca Fa Presto (Luke the Quick), had a close collaborator named Vincenzo Amo, who assisted him in several fresco projects.

In the 19th century, the Amo surname gained further recognition with the birth of Tobia Amo (1810-1885), an Italian politician and patriot who played a significant role in the Risorgimento, the movement for the unification of Italy. He served as a member of the Piedmontese Parliament and actively advocated for the cause of Italian independence.

Throughout its history, the Amo surname has been associated with various place names and alternate spellings. For instance, the town of Amola in the province of Terni, Umbria, is believed to have derived its name from the Latin word 'amula,' which is closely related to 'amo.' Additionally, variations such as Amos, Amoe, and Ammi have been recorded in historical documents from different regions of Italy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Amo

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Amo.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Amo was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Amo has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Amo was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Amo, please contact us.

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