Show ContentsAmey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient history of the name Amey began soon after 1066 when the Norman Conquest of England occurred. It was a name given to a good friend or beloved one. The name was originally derived from the Old French given name or nickname Amis or Ami, which means friend. Alternatively the name could have been derived from the "descendant of Amos (burden-bearer.)" [1]

Early Origins of the Amey family

The surname Amey was first found in the county of Northumberland, where they were granted lands by King William after the Norman Conquest in 1066. They originated from Exmes, a town in the department of Orne, in Normandy.

"Amos, like Amias or Amyas, represents popular forms of the Norman-French Aimee, or Amys. " [2] Kirby's Quest had the first listing for the family: Thomas Amys, Somerset, 1 Edward III (during the first year of King Edward III's reign.) [3]

Another sources notes: "the present family of Amos, established in the Faversham district, [in Kent] probably can claim an ancestor in Thomas Amos, a well - to - do yeoman of Ospringe, who in 1769 bequeathed £100 for the poor of Molash." [4]

Early History of the Amey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Amey research. Another 178 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1576, 1619, 1633, 1640, 1641, 1689, 1692, 1695, 1721, 1759 and 1889 are included under the topic Early Amey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Amey Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Amey family name include Ames, Amess, Amies, Amis, Amiss, Amos, Hames, Haymes, Eames, Emmes and many more.

Early Notables of the Amey family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was William Ames (Latin: Guilielmus Amesius) (1576-1633), an English Protestant divine, philosopher, and controversialist; Henry Metcalfe Ames, of Lynden, Northumberland; Joseph Ames (1619-1695), an English naval commander from Norfolk who commanded several ships of war, and made repeated voyages to...
Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Amey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Amey Ranking

In the United States, the name Amey is the 8,772nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [5]


United States Amey migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Amey family to immigrate North America:

Amey Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • William Amey, who landed in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1637 [6]
  • John Amey, who landed in Massachusetts in 1649 [6]
  • John Amey, who arrived in Virginia in 1663 [6]
Amey Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Jonas Amey was registered as a United Empire Loyalist

Canada Amey migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Amey Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Australia Amey migration to Australia +

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

Amey Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Amey, (b. 1789), aged 44, English groom who was convicted in Southampton, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Aurora" on 3rd November 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1866 [8]
  • Mr. James Amey, English convict who was convicted in Chelmsford, Essex, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 27th August 1841, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [9]
  • Almon Amey, aged 20, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Punjab"

New Zealand Amey 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:

Amey Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Henry Amey, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Light Brigade" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 26th August 1868 [10]

Contemporary Notables of the name Amey (post 1700) +

  • Fred Otis Holmes Amey (b. 1981), American and Canadian football wide receiver
  • William Amey, English founder of Amey plc, a British infrastructure support service provider in 1921
  • William Amey VC MM (1881-1940), English recipient of the Victoria Cross
  • Ian Frederick Stephen Amey (1944-2024), British musician, member of Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich
  • Constable Robert Weston Amey (1940-1964), Newfoundland-born, Canadian Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer stationed in Newfoundland, shot and killed in the line of duty
  • François Pierre Joseph Amey, French Divisional General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 [11]
  • Jessica Amey (b. 1976), Canadian silver medalist butterfly swimmer at the 1995 World Championships (SC)
  • Colin Amey, Canadian country music artist

HMS Cornwall
  • William Arthur Amey (d. 1942), British Electrical Artificer 1st Class aboard the HMS Cornwall when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he died in the sinking [12]


The Amey 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: Fama candida rosa dulcior
Motto Translation: Fame is sweeter than the white rose.


  1. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
  4. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  5. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  6. 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)
  7. 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
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th August 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/aurora
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barossa
  10. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  11. Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, February 11) François Amey. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html
  12. Force Z Survivors Crew List HMS Cornwall (Retrieved 2018, February 13th) - Retrieved from https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listcornwallcrew.html#A


Houseofnames.com on Facebook