Amy
Amy was the 257th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,200 babies. Its best year was 1973, when it ranked 2nd; the most babies were born in 1975 (32,254). Over the last ten years it has moved down 99 places. More babies were named Amy in the 1970s than in any other decade.
Meaning beloved · French, Latin
Say it AY-mee /ˈeɪmi/
- Rank in 2025
- #257 girls, down 42 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,200girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 197532,254 babies
- Total since 1880
- 703,484babies recorded
What does the name Amy mean?
Amy is the English form of Old French Amée (modern Aimée), 'beloved', which DMNES gives as the feminine of Ami, 'friend'. Wiktionary and Wikipedia add that it also served as a form of the Latin name Amata, 'beloved', from amare, 'to love'. DMNES notes that, despite its French roots, the name was more popular in England than in France. Wikipedia says it has been used in English since the Middle Ages.
amée (Old French, “beloved”)amāre (Latin, “to love”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Aimée, Amata, Ami, Esme.
See also: French names, names that mean love.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Amy', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Wiktionary, entry 'Amy', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Amy', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Amy popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 1,853 since 1911.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #257 | 1,200 |
| 2020 | #215 | 1,340 |
| 2010 | #136 | 2,283 |
| 2000 | #105 | 3,173 |
| 1990 | #38 | 8,463 |
| 1980 | #8 | 19,833 |
| 1970 | #5 | 25,212 |
| 1960 | #77 | 5,973 |
| 1950 | #218 | 1,184 |
| 1940 | #321 | 390 |
| 1930 | #332 | 386 |
| 1920 | #263 | 624 |
| 1910 | #225 | 287 |
| 1900 | #165 | 335 |
| 1890 | #135 | 275 |
| 1880 | #108 | 167 |
How popular is Amy, counting every spelling?
Amy is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #244 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #257 for Amy on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,395 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amy | 1,200 | #257 | 7,022 |
| Aimee | 133 | #1,581 | 755 |
| Ammy | 40 | #3,718 | 154 |
| Amee | 10 | #9,495 | 34 |
| Amea | 12 | #8,397 | 31 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Amy?
1,200 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Amy (0.33 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Amy born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 7 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Amy.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Amy?
About 636,700 people born in the US named Amy are alive today, with a median age of 49; half are between 41 and 55. That makes Amy mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Amy by state
How common Amy was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in District of Columbia (2.8×), Maryland (2.6×), Florida (1.9×), New Jersey (1.8×), New York (1.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Mississippi, Michigan, Idaho.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Amy: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Amy, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Amy · Sibling names for Amy
Amy is also a nickname for Amelia.
Questions about the name Amy
What does Amy mean?
Amy means “beloved” (French, Latin origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Amy?
Amy was the 257th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,200 babies. Its best year was 1973, when it ranked 2nd; the most babies were born in 1975 (32,254). Over the last ten years it has moved down 99 places. More babies were named Amy in the 1970s than in any other decade.
Is Amy a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Amy in the US.
Where is Amy most popular?
In 2021–2025, Amy was most common in District of Columbia (2.45 per 1,000 girls), followed by Maryland and Florida.