Origins Available: English,
French
The name Amis is an ancient name that was given to a person in Britain soon after the arrival of the
Normans in the 1066. It is a name for a person who was 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.Early Origins of the Amis family
The surname Amis 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.
Early History of the Amis family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Amis research.
Another 355 words (25 lines of text) covering the years 1889, 1640, 1692, 1721, 1576, 1633, 1619, 1695, 1689, 1759, 1641, 1721 and 1692 are included under the topic Early Amis History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Amis Spelling Variations
Multitudes of
spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the
Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Ames, Amess, Amies, Amis, Amiss, Amos, Hames, Haymes, Eames, Emmes and many more.
Early Notables of the Amis family (pre 1700)
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 Amis Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Amis family to the New World and Oceana
Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for
Ireland, North America, and
Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in
England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Amis or a variant listed above:
Amis Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Joyce Amis, who landed in Virginia in 1652 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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) - Abraham Amis, aged 31, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1684 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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)
Amis Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Haynes Amis, who arrived in America in 1776 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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)
Contemporary Notables of the name Amis (post 1700)
- Susan Elizabeth "Suzy" Amis (b. 1962), American actress and model [2]CITATION[CLOSE]
Susan Amis. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Susan Amis. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzy_Amis - Rufus Travis Amis (1912-2007), American entrepreneur
- Kenneth Amis (b. 1970), American composer and tuba player
- B. D. Amis (1896-1993), American labor and civil rights leader
- Sir Kingsley William Amis CBE (1922-1995), English novelist, actor and poet
- Stephen Amis, Australian film producer and director, cousin of Martin Amis
- Martin Amis (b. 1949), British novelist, son of Kingsley Amis
- John Amis (b. 1922), British music critic and broadcaster
The Amis 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.