Show ContentsAmore History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The surname Amore can either be derived from the Old French word for love "amor" or from the phrase "at the moor," shortened to A'Moor, implying one who lived near a moor.

Early Origins of the Amore family

The surname Amore was first found in Oxfordshire, where Adam ate More and Oliva Ate More were recorded in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. 1

Early History of the Amore family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Amore research. Another 35 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1327, 1467, 1479 and 1528 are included under the topic Early Amore History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Amore Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Amor, Amore, Amour, Amoor, Amoore and others.

Early Notables of the Amore family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • Richard Amore, who was a priest in Norwich in 1528

Amore Ranking

In the United States, the name Amore is the 13,362nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2


United States Amore migration to the United States +

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Amore name or one of its variants:

Amore Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Hamurt Amore, who landed in Virginia in 1646 3
  • Marrice Amore, who arrived in Maryland in 1665 3
Amore Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Thomas Amore, who landed in Virginia in 1702 3
  • Jerome Amore, who arrived in Virginia in 1730 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Amore (post 1700) +

  • Gianna Amore (b. 1968), American model and actress
  • Eugenio Amore (b. 1972), Italian Olympic beach volleyball player


The Amore Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Tu ne cede malis
Motto Translation: Yield not to misfortunes.


  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)


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