2000
#1,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,817
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.46
Uncommon Last name
Amos
A biblical name derived from the Hebrew name Amos, meaning "carried by God" or "borne by God."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 25,910 Americans carry the last name Amos. That puts it at #1,551 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.56 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 13,229 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Amos surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Amos with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
26K
1 in 13,229
Census rank
#1,551
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
23K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 22,595 bearers of the surname Amos in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.56 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1551st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Amos, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.7%. The next largest groups are Black (29.0%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Amos
The surname Amos finds its origins in England, with roots tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Hebrew personal name "Amos," which means "burden" or "burden-bearer." The name's earliest recorded instances can be found in medieval English records and documents, often associated with individuals of Jewish descent who lived in England during that time period.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname Amos dates back to the 13th century, when a certain William Amos was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire in 1273. These rolls were a census-like record of landowners and their holdings, providing valuable insights into the distribution and prevalence of surnames across England at the time.
The surname Amos also appears in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, further cementing its presence in medieval England. This tax record contains entries for individuals named Johannes Amos and Robertus Amos, indicating that the name was in use across different regions of the country.
Throughout the centuries, the surname Amos has been associated with several notable individuals. One such figure was John Amos (1689-1760), an English naval officer and hydrographer who played a significant role in the mapping and surveying of coastal regions during his time in the Royal Navy. Another prominent individual was Sheldon Amos (1835-1886), a distinguished English lawyer and legal scholar who served as a professor of jurisprudence at University College London.
In the realm of literature, the surname Amos is associated with Tori Amos (born 1963), an American singer-songwriter and pianist known for her critically acclaimed albums and unique musical style. While not directly related to the English surname's origins, her stage name has contributed to the name's recognition in modern times.
Other notable individuals with the surname Amos include John Amos (born 1939), an American actor best known for his roles in TV shows like "Good Times" and "The West Wing," and Wally Amos (born 1936), an American entrepreneur and creator of the famous "Famous Amos" chocolate chip cookie brand.
Throughout its history, the surname Amos has undergone various spelling variations, such as Amos, Amoss, Amusse, and Amis, reflecting the fluidity of surname spellings in earlier periods. While its origins can be traced back to medieval England, the name has since spread globally, carried by individuals of diverse backgrounds and nationalities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Amos
Among Census respondents with the surname Amos, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.7%. The next largest groups are Black (29.0%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Amos bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Amos surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White59.7% · 13,491
- Black or African American29.0% · 6,542
- Two or more races4.7% · 1,067
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 820
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 440
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 235
Timeline
Historical Census data for Amos
Amos appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#1,517
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 23,621
+804 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 8.01
Rank movement Down 81 places
2020
#1,551
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,595
-1,026 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 7.56
Rank movement Down 34 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,436 | 22,817 | 8.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,517 | 23,621 | 8.01 | +804 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 81 places |
| 2020 | #1,551 | 22,595 | 7.56 | -1,026 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 34 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Amos surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,517 | #1,551 | -2.2% |
| Count | 23,621 | 22,595 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 8.01 | 7.56 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Amos bearers went from 23,621 to 22,595 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 34 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,517 to #1,551.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Amos
FAQ
Amos surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Amos?
Name Census estimates that about 25,910 living Americans carry the surname Amos. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 13,229 residents.
How common is Amos?
Amos ranks #1,551 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.56 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 22,595 people with the surname Amos. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (25,910), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.56 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.56 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Amos.
Has Amos become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Amos went from 23,621 recorded bearers to 22,595. That is a decrease of 1,026 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,517 to #1,551.
What does the Census say about the background of Amos?
Among Census respondents with the surname Amos, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.7%. The next largest groups are Black (29.0%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Amos in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.7% (13,491 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Amos appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (59.7%), Black (29.0%), Two or More Races (4.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Amos (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Amos mean?
A biblical name derived from the Hebrew name Amos, meaning "carried by God" or "borne by God." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Amos (7.56 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Amos?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.