Surname Ames - Meaning and Origin

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D. Ames

Ames: What does the surname Ames mean?

The surname Ames is of ancient medieval English origin. It is a patronymic name derived from a medieval given name, "Ames," which is itself derived from the Hebrew personal name "Amos." The Hebrew name “Amos” means "borne by God". This first name was quite popular in the Middle Ages, partly due to the fame of the biblical prophet Amos and the connection to various saints of the Christian Church. Over time, it became common to use this first name as a surname. Variations of the surname include Amos, Amies, Amess, Eames, and Emmes among others. The name also spread across Europe in different forms due to Jewish diaspora. Thus, the surname Ames signifies a lineage that comes from an ancestral figure named Amos, indicating that they are "sons of Amos" or "those borne by God".

Ames: Where does the name Ames come from?

The surname Ames is of English origin and has medieval roots. It is derived from the Old French and Middle English given name “Amis” or “Amys,” which means friend. Originally, this name was often given as a nickname to someone who was well-liked and considered friendly. The surname became popular in England after the Norman Conquest in 1066 when French names and words were integrated into the English language. It is also believed that Ames could be a geographical surname for someone from a place named Aimes, in the old departement of Calvados in France.

Today, the surname is most commonly found in the United States, specifically in states like Iowa, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, vast lengths of the United States East Coast, and in California on the West Coast, reflecting patterns of historic immigration and settlement. The surname also remains relatively common in its country of origin, England. Other countries where the Ames surname is common include Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Variations of the surname Ames

The surname Ames has undergone numerous spelling alterations over the years and across different regions. Surnames like Amess, Eames, Amies, Amyes, Aymes, and Amos are considered variants of Ames. Sometimes it's also found as Amiss or Eames.

This surname is of early medieval English origin, deriving mainly from the Hebrew male given name Amos, meaning "borne by God". It came to England through the Greek and Latin biblical translations and the old French form Amis or Amys. Thus, some of these surnames could also be variants of the old French personal name Amis, Ami, meaning "friend".

The surname could also occasionally represent a patronymic formation, meaning "son of Amos". As with many other surnames, different spellings of the same original surname were often a result of a branch of the family spelling it differently, illiteracy, or spelling variations that weren't uncommon in the Middle Ages.

It is not uncommon to find the same surname Ames in other Germanic countries with a slight variation in spellings such as Ams or Amsz in Dutch. In some regions of Germany and Switzerland, it has variants like Ahms, Ams, or Ohms due to regional dialects and spelling differences.

Famous people with the name Ames

• Adelbert Ames: Former Governor of Mississippi and a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
• Blanche Ames Ames: American artist and women's rights activist.
• Ed Ames: American singer and actor, best known for his role in the television series Daniel Boone.
• Rachel Ames: American film and television actress, best known for her role in the long-running soap opera General Hospital.
• Fisher Ames: Notable American Federalist politician and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States.
• Jonathan Ames: American author and television producer, known for his novels including "Wake Up, Sir!" and the TV series Bored to Death.
• Joseph Sweetman Ames: American physicist and president of Johns Hopkins University.
• Leon Ames: American actor who starred in films like Meet Me in St. Louis and The Postman Always Rings Twice.
• Rufus Ames: American stage and film actor.
• Adriana Ames: Argentine film actress.
• August Ames: Canadian pornographic actress.
• Oakes Ames: U.S. congressman from Massachusetts, and the center of the Credit Mobilier scandal.
• Jesse Ames Spencer: American composer and music educator.

Other surnames

AmedenAmelangAmelbrechtAmelingAmelingmeierAmelingmeyerAmeloltAmelongAmelrichAmelunckAmelungAmelungenAmelungsbornAmelungsenAmelunkeAmelunxenAmenAmendAmendeAmendingerAmendsAmendtAmentAmenthAmerAmermanAmermonAmeroAmersonAmertman