Ames Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Ames last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
Meaning and origin of the Ames last name
Meaning of the Ames last name: friend. Ames is an English surname from the Old French first name Amis, "friend", popular in the Middle Ages. The last name is found in the south-west and East Anglia. Curiously, Oakes Ames and his brother Oliver, shovel makers from Massachusetts, helped finance the first transcontinental railroad.
Arms associated with the Ames name
Coats of arms associated with the Ames last name belong to the English heraldic tradition, each with its own blazon.
Get your full Ames family history
This is only a glimpse of the Ames story. The full Ames history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Ames coat of arms. Get the full Ames report.
Ames name FAQ
What does the Ames name mean?
Friend. Common variants include Amis, Eames.
Where does the Ames surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Ames coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Ames coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).