This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Amys,' or 'the son of Amy,' with the patronymic 5. 'Amye, Amy, propre name: Amia': Promptorium Parvulorum The origin is the same. But Amice or Amys seems to have become the popular English form of the Old French Aimee, just as Piers or Pearce came to represent the Old French Pierre. Perhaps the Latinized forms had something to do with it. The two first entries occur close together, and probably refer to the same individual.

William fil. Amye, Lincolnshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

William fil. Amice, Lincolnshire, ibid.

Adam Amys, Cambridgeshire, ibid.

Robert Amys, Cambridgeshire, ibid.

Amice le Noble, Huntingdonshire, ibid.

Hugh fil. Amicie, Lincolnshire, ibid.

Alice fil. Amicie, Surrey, ibid.

John Amice, Oxfordshire, ibid.

Amia, Amicia, Amise, and Amisius all occur as personal names without surnames in the Hundred Rolls, 1273.

Amis de Selves, Kent, Henry III— Edward I: Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum, temp. Henry III-Edward I.

Amia de Rydeford, Lincolnshire, ibid.

The form Amiss in the London Directory is met by the entry:

'Gregory Amys, or Amisse, sup. for B.A., July 12. 1525': Register of the University of Oxford.

Also: 1766. Thomas Amiss and Eleanor Cadman: St. George, Hanover Square.

In the United States the form is all but invariably Ames. Amice or Ames continued as a girl's fontal name till the 16th century.

1540. Buried — Ameis Austin, Mr. Smith's maid: St. Antholin (London).

The family of Ames in the Register of St. Dionis Backchurch is found as Amyes.), 1576; Ames and Ammes (p. 130), 1690; and Amis (p. 22), 1627. In the Register of St. Michael, Cornhill, the name is often found as Aymes:Stolen from Fore bears

1603. Baptised — Daniel, son of George Aymes:.

1 Ame’s or Amy's (Son): v. Amy.

2 the Anglo-French Amys, Amis-Amy (q.v.) with formerly -s.

3 Ames has prob. been confused with Eames, q.v.

A corrupt spelling, though still retaining the sound, of Exmes, a town in the department of Orne, in Normandy.

Probably another form of Amias.

(French.) From Amie, a friend, beloved; or if from the Hebrew Amos, a burden. Some think it is a. contraction of Ambrose (winch see). Amesbury in England was originally Ambrosebury.

Amies and Amis are different forms of an ancient Norfolk name, which at present has its home in and around Norwich, where the name has been represented since Mary's reign, at which time it was spelt Amys. John Amyas was a Norwich surgeon in the commencement of last century; and about this time Matthew Amyas was a doctor and John Amyas an attorney in Hingham. Peter Amyes was rector of Castor in 1601; and there was a Thomas Amys of Barton Turf, who died in 1511. Edmund Amys was prior of Mountjoy, Heverland, in 1401, and in the 14th century Walter Amyas was a Suffolk parson (Bl.). The name of Amys occurred in the adjoining county of Cambridge at the close of the 13th century (H. R).