Show ContentsAmor History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The surname Amor 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 Amor family

The surname Amor 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 Amor family

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

Amor Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Amor, Amore, Amour, Amoor, Amoore and others.

Early Notables of the Amor family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

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


United States Amor migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Amor or a variant listed above:

Amor Settlers in United States in the 16th Century
  • Juan De Amor, who arrived in Florida in 1538
  • Juana de Amor, who arrived in Peru in 1570
  • Lorenzo de Amor, who arrived in Peru in 1594
Amor Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Richard Amor, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1682 2
  • William Amor, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1682 2
  • Richard Amor, who immigrated to Delaware Bay in 1682
  • William Amor, who arrived with William Penn in Pennsylvania in 1682
Amor Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • John Amor, who immigrated as a servant to Jamaica in 1726
  • John Amor, who was sent to Virginia in 1741 as a bonded emigrant
Amor Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Juan De Amor, who arrived in Florida in 1838 2

Canada Amor migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Amor Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Australia Amor migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Amor Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Shadrach Amor, (b. 1809), aged 22, English convict who was convicted in Wiltshire, England for 7 years for machine breaking, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 2nd February 1831, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4
  • John Amor, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Abberton" in 1846 5

New Zealand Amor migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Amor Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mrs. Amor, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Gananoque" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 9th May 1860 6
  • Mr. Richard Amor, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Gananoque" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 9th May 1860 6

West Indies Amor migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 7
Amor Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Susan Amor, who was sent to Barbados in 1657
  • Mary Amor, who sailed to Barbados or Jamaica in 1689

Contemporary Notables of the name Amor (post 1700) +

  • Kyle Amor, English professional rugby league footballer
  • Simon Daniel Edward Amor (b. 1979), English rugby union footballer
  • William "Bill" Amor (b. 1919), English former amateur footballer
  • Vincente Amor (b. 1932), former pitcher in Major League Baseball
  • Christine Amor (b. 1952), Australian actress
  • Rick Amor (b. 1948), Australian artist and figurative painter
  • Guillermo Amor Martínez (b. 1967), retired Spanish footballer
  • Daniel Amor, published computer and Internet expert
  • Guadalupe Amor (b. 1920), Mexican novelist and poet
  • Jan Amor Tarnowski (1488-1561), Polish szlachcic (nobleman)


The Amor 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. 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)
  3. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
  5. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) ABBERTON 1846. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1846Abberton.htm
  6. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies


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