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Amis History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

  • Origins Available:
  • England England
  • France France
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Family Crest Image (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI


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. Alternatively the name could have been derived from the "descendant of Amos (burden-bearer.)" [1]

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.

"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 Amis family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Amis research. Another 178 words (13 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.

United States Amis migration to the United States +

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 [5]
  • Abraham Amis, aged 31, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1684 [5]
Amis Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Haynes Amis, who arrived in America in 1776 [5]

Contemporary Notables of the name Amis (post 1700) +

  • Susan Elizabeth "Suzy" Amis (b. 1962), American actress and model [6]
  • 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.

  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. ^ 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)
  6. ^ Susan Amis. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Susan Amis. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzy_Amis

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