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

Amor, 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 Amor surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Amor in America

Amor is the 19456th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Amor surname appeared 1,389 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 Amor.

We can also compare 2010 data for Amor 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 Amor

The surname Amor has its origins in Spain, where it is believed to have first emerged in the 13th century. It is derived from the Spanish word "amor," which means "love." This suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon someone who was considered particularly loving or affectionate.

In the medieval period, surnames were often given based on personal characteristics, occupations, or places of origin. The Amor surname likely fell into the category of descriptive surnames, reflecting a personality trait or virtue associated with the original bearer.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Amor surname can be found in a 14th-century document from the region of Castile, where a certain Pedro Amor was mentioned as a landowner. This suggests that by that time, the name had already become an established surname, passed down from generation to generation.

During the 15th century, the Amor surname gained prominence in the city of Seville, where several individuals bearing the name were involved in various trades and professions. One notable figure was Juan Amor, a successful merchant who lived in Seville in the late 15th century.

As the centuries passed, the Amor surname spread to other parts of Spain and eventually beyond the country's borders. In the 16th century, a branch of the Amor family settled in the Spanish colonies of the Americas, where they contributed to the cultural and economic development of the region.

One famous bearer of the Amor surname was Miguel Amor, a Spanish soldier and explorer who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the early 16th century. Another notable figure was Fray Tomás Amor, a 17th-century Spanish friar and missionary who traveled to the Philippines and played a significant role in the evangelization efforts in the region.

In the 18th century, José Amor y Vázquez, a Spanish naval officer and cartographer, gained recognition for his contributions to the mapping of the coasts of South America. He was born in Cadiz in 1713 and died in 1779.

Moving into the 19th century, Rafael Amor y Rico, a Spanish politician and diplomat, served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Spain from 1866 to 1868. He was born in Malaga in 1818 and died in Madrid in 1886.

While the Amor surname has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to various parts of the world, reflecting the global reach of Spanish culture and influence. Today, individuals with the surname Amor can be found in many countries, carrying on the legacy of this historically significant name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Amor

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

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 Amor 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 Amor 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 Amor was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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