2000
#124,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Ampy
A Greek surname derived from the word "ampeli" meaning vineyard or grapevine.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Ampy. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ampy 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Ampy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ampy, the largest self-reported group is Black at 95.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ampy
The surname "AMPY" is thought to have originated in France during the medieval period. It is believed to be a variation of the Old French word "ampier," which means "to thrive" or "to prosper." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who was particularly successful or prosperous in their endeavors.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "AMPY" can be found in the Records of the Taille of 1292 in Normandy, where a certain Jehan Ampy is mentioned. This document was a tax roll that recorded the names of landowners and their property holdings in the region.
In the 14th century, the name appears in various French records, such as the Cartulary of the Abbey of Saint-Corneille in Compiegne, where a Perrinet Ampy is mentioned in 1376. This suggests that the name was well-established in northern France by this time.
During the 15th century, the name "AMPY" began to spread to other parts of Europe. In 1487, a Flemish merchant named Pieter Ampy is recorded in the archives of the city of Bruges, indicating that the name had made its way to the Low Countries.
One notable figure with the surname "AMPY" was Jean-Baptiste Ampy, a French architect who lived from 1640 to 1712. He was responsible for the design of several churches and buildings in Paris and its surrounding regions, including the Church of Saint-Séverin and the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte.
Another individual of note was Marie-Louise Ampy, a French educator who lived from 1768 to 1832. She founded one of the first schools for girls in Paris and was a pioneer in the field of women's education during the Enlightenment period.
In the 19th century, the name "AMPY" continued to appear in various records across Europe. For example, a German immigrant named Heinrich Ampy is listed in the passenger records of a ship arriving in New York in 1852, indicating that the name had spread to other parts of the world by this time.
Other notable individuals with the surname "AMPY" include Émile Ampy, a French painter who lived from 1830 to 1890, and Pierre Ampy, a Belgian politician and economist who served as the mayor of Liège from 1891 to 1904.
Overall, the surname "AMPY" has a rich history that spans several centuries and multiple countries, with its origins likely rooted in medieval France. Despite its relatively low frequency, the name has been associated with various individuals who have made significant contributions in fields such as architecture, education, art, and politics.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ampy
Among Census respondents with the surname Ampy, the largest self-reported group is Black at 95.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Ampy 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 Ampy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American95.8% · 113
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- White0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ampy
Ampy 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
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
-3 bearers (-2.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,603 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-7 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,799 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,109 | 128 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.3%) | Down 10,603 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 8,799 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 Ampy 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 | #134,712 | #143,511 | -6.5% |
| Count | 125 | 118 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ampy bearers went from 125 to 118 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 8,799 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #143,511.
FAQ
Ampy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ampy?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Ampy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Ampy?
Ampy ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Ampy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Ampy.
Has Ampy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ampy went from 125 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 7 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Ampy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ampy, the largest self-reported group is Black at 95.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ampy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.8% (113 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ampy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (95.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Ampy (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 Ampy mean?
A Greek surname derived from the word "ampeli" meaning vineyard or grapevine. 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 Ampy (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 common is the surname Ampy?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Ampy is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.