NameCensus.

UK surname

Amy

A French surname derived from the Old French personal name Amé, which means "beloved" or "friend."

In the 1881 census there were 141 people recorded with the Amy surname, ranking it #16,091 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 241, ranked #17,233, down from #16,091 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Newhaven, St Teath and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lewes, Isle of Wight and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Amy is 241 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 70.9%.

1881 census count

141

Ranked #16,091

Modern count

241

2016, ranked #17,233

Peak year

2016

241 bearers

Map years

6

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Amy had 141 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,091 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 241 in 2016, ranked #17,233.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 205 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Amy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Amy surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Amy 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 138 #13,745
1881 historical 141 #16,091
1891 historical 6 #33,800
1901 historical 205 #14,884
1997 modern 192 #18,103
1998 modern 204 #17,896
1999 modern 202 #18,127
2000 modern 196 #18,431
2001 modern 186 #18,773
2002 modern 181 #19,463
2003 modern 185 #18,999
2004 modern 178 #19,603
2005 modern 186 #18,985
2006 modern 185 #19,204
2007 modern 199 #18,542
2008 modern 198 #18,753
2009 modern 205 #18,722
2010 modern 204 #19,200
2011 modern 210 #18,677
2012 modern 224 #17,786
2013 modern 231 #17,703
2014 modern 224 #18,202
2015 modern 223 #18,165
2016 modern 241 #17,233

Geography

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Where Amys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Newhaven, St Teath, London parishes, Toxteth Park and Preston (incl. Sutton Poyntz). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lewes, Isle of Wight, Cornwall and Powys. 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 Newhaven Sussex
2 St Teath Cornwall
3 London parishes London 3
4 Toxteth Park Lancashire
5 Preston (incl. Sutton Poyntz) Dorset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lewes 009 Lewes
2 Isle of Wight 009 Isle of Wight
3 Cornwall 003 Cornwall
4 Powys 006 Powys
5 Cornwall 064 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Amy

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Amy

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Amy, 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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Outer Suburbs

Nationally, the Amy surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Amy household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Amy is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Amy is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Amy falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Amy 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 Amy, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of 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.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Amy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Amy 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. Channel Islands leads with 374 Amys recorded in 1881 and an index of 253.71x.

County Total Index
Channel Islands 374 253.71x
Cornwall 40 7.10x
Middlesex 24 0.48x
Surrey 14 0.58x
Hampshire 12 1.18x
Norfolk 11 1.44x
Lancashire 10 0.17x
Devon 6 0.58x
Gloucestershire 4 0.41x
Wiltshire 4 0.91x
Kent 3 0.18x
Leicestershire 2 0.36x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.22x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.32x
Hertfordshire 1 0.29x
Lanarkshire 1 0.06x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.63x
Yorkshire 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Helier in Channel Islands leads with 151 Amys recorded in 1881 and an index of 314.65x.

Place Total Index
St Helier 151 314.65x
St Martin 42 465.12x
Grouville 41 997.57x
Trinity 26 762.46x
St Teath 24 707.96x
St Clement 22 982.14x
St Peter 22 517.65x
St John 19 676.16x
St Saviour 17 208.59x
St Owen 14 361.76x
St Brelade 12 316.62x
St Thomas Apostle 8 459.77x
Toxteth Park 8 4.00x
Bromley London 7 6.40x
Christchurch 6 27.14x
St Pancras London 6 1.50x
St Stephen 6 300.00x
Thorpe Next Norwich 6 73.98x
Clapham 5 8.04x
Hackney London 5 1.79x
St Andrew 5 256.41x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 4 22.41x
Salisbury St Edmund 4 56.66x
Dorking 3 18.43x
Farnham 3 15.92x
Great Yarmouth 3 4.73x
St Peter Port 3 11.00x
Stoke Damerel 3 4.14x
Alverstoke 2 5.42x
Deptford St Paul 2 1.53x
Heigham 2 4.87x
Leicester St Margaret 2 1.49x
Southampton St Mary 2 3.12x
Titchfield 2 26.01x
Barmbrough 1 55.25x
Barnstaple 1 6.15x
Barony 1 0.25x
Bethnal Green London 1 0.46x
Camberwell 1 0.31x
Church Coniston 1 60.24x
Cliffe 1 26.11x
Cottenham 1 23.87x
Croydon 1 0.74x
East Stonehouse 1 4.90x
Falmouth 1 5.02x
Limehouse London 1 1.83x
Salford 1 0.58x
St George Hanover Square 1 1.14x
St George In East London 1 2.14x
St Luke London 1 1.25x
St Marylebone London 1 0.38x
St Nicholas 1 357.14x
St Tudy 1 112.36x
Steynton 1 19.57x
Tormoham 1 2.28x
Watford 1 3.76x
Wimbledon 1 3.67x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 42
Philip 20
Charles 16
George 14
Thomas 12
William 12
Francis 11
Alfred 8
Henry 7
Elias 6
Adolphus 4
Daniel 4
James 4
Walter 4
Arthur 3
Ernest 3
Fred 3
Frederick 3
Helier 3
Moses 3
Percy 3
Phillip 3
Albert 2
Peter 2
Robert 2
Archibald 1
Chas.Charlton 1
Chas.Ph. 1
Clarence 1
Edward 1
Elie 1
Francois 1
Frank 1
Fred. 1
Fredk. 1
Hardingham 1
Hellier 1
Herbert 1
Jean 1
Joseph 1
Lewis 1
Moreau 1
Nathaniel 1
Raulin 1
Richard 1
S. 1
Wilfred 1
Willm. 1
Winter 1

FAQ

Amy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Amy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 141 people were recorded with the Amy surname. That placed it at #16,091 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Amy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 241 in 2016. That gives Amy a modern rank of #17,233.

What does the Amy surname mean?

A French surname derived from the Old French personal name Amé, which means "beloved" or "friend."

What does the Amy map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Amy 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.