NameCensus.

UK surname

Amory

A toponymic surname possibly derived from the French town of Amorie or Damorie.

In the 1881 census there were 118 people recorded with the Amory surname, ranking it #17,935 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 114, ranked #28,515, down from #17,935 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Pancras, Haddenham and Rothbury. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, East Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Amory is 142 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 3.4%.

1881 census count

118

Ranked #17,935

Modern count

114

2016, ranked #28,515

Peak year

1851

142 bearers

Map years

6

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Amory had 118 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,935 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 114 in 2016, ranked #28,515.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 142 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Amory surname distribution map

The map shows where the Amory surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Amory surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Amory over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 142 #13,428
1861 historical 78 #23,836
1881 historical 118 #17,935
1891 historical 93 #24,965
1901 historical 104 #22,310
1911 historical 90 #23,797
1997 modern 100 #26,901
1998 modern 100 #27,619
1999 modern 100 #27,757
2000 modern 97 #28,142
2001 modern 98 #27,672
2002 modern 100 #27,944
2003 modern 100 #27,722
2004 modern 109 #26,607
2005 modern 107 #26,875
2006 modern 107 #27,179
2007 modern 111 #26,954
2008 modern 111 #27,225
2009 modern 113 #27,520
2010 modern 126 #26,312
2011 modern 118 #27,192
2012 modern 115 #27,717
2013 modern 117 #27,838
2014 modern 117 #28,109
2015 modern 116 #28,151
2016 modern 114 #28,515

Geography

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Where Amorys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Pancras, Haddenham, Rothbury, Sheffield and Newcastle St John. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, East Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire, Greenwich and Mid Devon. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 St Pancras London (North Districts)
2 Haddenham Cambridgeshire
3 Rothbury Northumberland
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Newcastle St John Northumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 006 Northumberland
2 East Cambridgeshire 005 East Cambridgeshire
3 Huntingdonshire 003 Huntingdonshire
4 Greenwich 021 Greenwich
5 Mid Devon 001 Mid Devon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Amory

These lists show first names that appear often with the Amory surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Amory

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Amory, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Amory surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Amory household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

European Enclaves

Within London, Amory is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Amory is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Amory falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Amory is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Amory, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Amory

The surname Amory originated in Normandy, France during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "amoureté" which means "loved" or "enamored". The name is believed to have been given to someone who was admired or loved by others.

The name Amory can be traced back to the 11th century in Normandy. It is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England after the Norman Conquest. The earliest recorded spelling is Amorie.

In the 12th century, the name appeared in records from the village of Amoreye in Normandy, which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the name. This village name likely has roots in the Old French word "amoureté".

Some notable individuals with the surname Amory throughout history include:

1. Thomas Amory (1691-1788), an English writer and Clerk of the Works at the Ranger's House in Greenwich, England. 2. Robert Amory (1737-1803), an American merchant and landowner in Boston, Massachusetts. 3. Nathaniel Amory (1761-1835), an American politician and merchant from Massachusetts. 4. Thomas Amory (1812-1889), an American businessman and philanthropist from Boston, Massachusetts. 5. Hareford Amory (1824-1890), an English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire.

The surname Amory has also been associated with various place names over time, such as Amory in Mississippi, USA and Amory Park in Manchester, England. These place names may have been influenced by or derived from the surname itself, reflecting the presence of families bearing the name in those areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Amory families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Amory surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Northumberland leads with 22 Amorys recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.85x.

County Total Index
Northumberland 22 12.85x
Middlesex 19 1.65x
Yorkshire 14 1.23x
Devon 11 4.59x
Somerset 11 5.94x
Cambridgeshire 10 13.72x
Gloucestershire 6 2.66x
Lincolnshire 5 2.72x
Monmouthshire 5 6.01x
Durham 4 1.17x
Hertfordshire 2 2.52x
Kent 2 0.51x
Suffolk 2 1.43x
Surrey 2 0.36x
Buckinghamshire 1 1.44x
Cheshire 1 0.39x
Hampshire 1 0.42x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Alnwick in Northumberland leads with 9 Amorys recorded in 1881 and an index of 306.12x.

Place Total Index
Alnwick 9 306.12x
Hackney London 9 13.95x
Snitter 7 14000.00x
Bleadon 6 2500.00x
Byker 6 70.84x
Haddenham 6 869.57x
Holy Trinity 6 21.87x
Chulmleigh 5 909.09x
Mamhilad 5 4166.67x
St George Bloomsbury 5 75.76x
Ecclesall Bierlow 4 17.24x
Sutton 4 666.67x
Westoe 4 20.61x
Elworthy 3 4285.71x
Sheffield 3 8.26x
St George Hanover Square 3 14.79x
Chipping Barnet 2 143.88x
Clifton 2 17.53x
Deptford St Paul 2 6.60x
Hardwick 2 6666.67x
Ipswich St Helen 2 120.48x
St Pancras London 2 2.16x
Sutton St Mary St James 2 909.09x
Tiverton 2 48.43x
Westbury On Trym 2 26.14x
Bristol St James In 1 30.12x
Bristol St Paul In 1 16.64x
Carshalton 1 46.51x
Cheadle 1 20.62x
Congresbury 1 212.77x
Eton 1 63.29x
Exeter St Sidwell 1 18.21x
Filleigh 1 769.23x
Gedney Hill 1 769.23x
Hemyock 1 277.78x
Holcombe Burnell 1 1111.11x
Lambeth 1 1.00x
Sculcoates 1 5.53x
St Bartholomew Hyde 1 178.57x
West Bagborough 1 526.32x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Amory surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 10
Elizabeth 6
Sarah 4
Ann 3
Annie 3
Caroline 2
Emily 2
Isabella 2
Jane 2
Susan 2
Agnes 1
Barbara 1
Blanch 1
Dorothy 1
Emma 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
Gertrude 1
Harriet 1
Helen 1
Henrietta 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Louisa 1
Margaret 1
Marriann 1
Martha 1
Maud 1
Muriel 1
Naomi 1
Rose 1
Susanna 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Amory surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
George 8
John 6
Thomas 6
Charles 4
James 4
Joseph 4
William 4
Frederick 2
Herbert 2
Proctor 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Andrew 1
Chas. 1
David 1
Geo.A. 1
Geoffrey 1
Harry 1
Ian 1
Isaac 1
Mathew 1
Robert 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1

FAQ

Amory surname: questions and answers

How common was the Amory surname in 1881?

In 1881, 118 people were recorded with the Amory surname. That placed it at #17,935 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Amory surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 114 in 2016. That gives Amory a modern rank of #28,515.

What does the Amory surname mean?

A toponymic surname possibly derived from the French town of Amorie or Damorie.

What does the Amory map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Amory bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.