Ames (surname)


The surname Ames is usually either French or German in origin. The French name comes from the noun amie, meaning a friend or a beloved. The surname also derives from the Old French and Middle English personal name Amys or Amice, the Latin amicus, or from a Late Latin derivative of this, Amicius. The German roots of the name could have come from the Old High German word amazzig, meaning "busy," as a nickname for an active person. The name also has connections to the modern German name Ameise, meaning "ant."
The varieties of the surname Ames include Ames, Amess, Amies, Amis, Amiss, Amos, Hames, Haymes, Eames, Emmes and others. The name may also be a contraction of Ambrose or Eames. The name may also be Spanish considering the fact that there is a town in Galicia, Spain called Ames, A Coruña, though there is no clear evidence of a connection between the town and the surname. Ames is a name that can be found in the United Kingdom, United States, France, Germany, Spain and Argentina.

List of people surnamed Ames