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

Amy, 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 Amy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Amy in America

Amy is the 14570th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Amy surname appeared 2,045 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Amy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Amy 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 Amy

The surname Amy originates from the French region of Normandy, dating back to the 11th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "amé," meaning "beloved" or "friend." The name was likely given as a nickname or descriptive term for someone who was well-liked or had an amiable personality.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England, there are several entries for individuals with the name Amy or similar spellings, such as Amis or Ami. This suggests that the name was introduced to England after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Amy was Robert Amy, a landowner in Gloucestershire, England, who lived during the late 12th century. Another notable person was Sir John Amy, a knight who fought in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 during the Hundred Years' War.

In the 13th century, the name Amy was also associated with several place names in England, such as Amyas Crofte in Wiltshire and Amyas in Hertfordshire. These place names likely derived from the surname itself or from individuals who had taken the name as their own.

During the Renaissance period, there were several notable figures with the surname Amy, including the English poet and playwright John Amy (c. 1550-1617) and the French philosopher and theologian Pierre Amy (1558-1641).

Other historical figures with the surname Amy include:

1. Robert Amy (c. 1580-1655), an English politician and member of Parliament.
2. John Amy (c. 1620-1688), an English Puritan minister and writer.
3. Jacques Amy (1638-1719), a French architect and engineer.
4. William Amy (1726-1798), an English Baptist minister and writer.
5. François-Désiré Amy (1776-1828), a French general during the Napoleonic Wars.

While the surname Amy has its roots in Normandy and was introduced to England after the Norman Conquest, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, due to migration and the influence of the British Empire.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Amy

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

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

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

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