Ames (surname)

The surname Ames is usually either French, English or German in origin. The French name comes from the noun amie, meaning a friend or a beloved. The surname also derives from the Old French and Middle English personal name Amys or Amice, the Latin amicus, or from a Late Latin derivative of this, Amicius. The German roots of the name could have come from the Old High German word amazzig, meaning "busy," as a nickname for an active person. The name also has connections to the modern German name Ameise, meaning "ant".

Variations of the surname include Aames, Amass, Amess, Amies, Amis, Amiss, Amos, Hames, Haymes, Eames, and others. The name may also be a contraction of Ambrose.

The Ames family is an old and notable family in the United States.