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Home β€Ί Baby Names Directory β€Ί Ames

Ames

β™‚ Boy

Pronounced AM-ehs /ˈæm.Ι›s/Medium

Meaning: From the surname Ames, from medieval Amys/Amice, from Latin amicus 'friend'Low

In 30 seconds: Ames is an English boy's name from the surname Ames, which goes back to the medieval Amys or Amice and ultimately Latin amicus, 'friend'. At its core it means friendship.
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Origin MediumEnglish, French
MeaningFrom the surname Ames, from medieval Amys/Amice, from Latin amicus 'friend'
U.S. rank (2025)#1754 β†— Rising
2025 U.S. births92 boys (0.01% of U.S. boys)
Peak year2023
Total births (all-time)β‰ˆ 1,855

Popularity in the U.S. Β· SSA data

peak 202319132025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Ames descends from a surname rooted in the medieval names Amys and Amice, themselves from Latin amicus, 'friend'. The path runs from a warm Latin word through medieval given names to a family name and then back to first-name use. The single, soft syllable keeps that friendly meaning close to the surface.

Short and easy to say, Ames has the trim, one-syllable sound of a modern surname-style name while resting on a centuries-old word for friend.

Did you know? Ames likely reached first-name use through a surname or place-name route, which gives it that modern borrowed-from-history feel.
Overall data confidence 62%
Behind the Name - Ames β€” etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration β€” 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

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Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

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If you like Ames…

Amosβ€” Shares the 'Am' opening and a similar brief, single-word feel.
Amiasβ€” Built on the same Latin amicus, 'friend', behind Ames.
Astonβ€” a fellow English choice
Arrowβ€” another English name
Aubreyβ€” shares Ames's English roots

Explore names like Ames

By themeenglishunisexsurname-style
By meaningSnow / Winter

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Ames mean?

Ames is usually explained as meaning 'origin uncertain' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Ames?

It's commonly said AM-ehs /ˈæm.Ι›s/.

Is Ames a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Ames is used as a boy name.

How popular is Ames?

In 2024, Ames ranked #2007 in the U.S. for boys, with 76 births recorded.

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