The Baby Name Wizard

Reader Contributions

Contribute to, or edit, this collection of community wisdom on the name Amy!

Comments and insights on the name Amy: | Edit

Amy is such a sweet and simple name. It's ready for a comeback! Works as a nickname for Amelia or Amanda, too.

Alternate spellings: Ami, Amie, Aimee

My name is Amanda and nobody has ever called me Amy. That is simply absurd to me.

I found this on a list of top 20 "whitest" names for girls.

Personal experiences with the name Amy: | Edit

My mother's name is Amy Janet, born in 1965. I've only known one 'Amy' my own age my whole life (I'm an '80s baby).

Hi! My name is Amelia (named after Amelia Earhart) but my mom has always called me Amy. I've tried to switch as an adult, with little success ;) I like both of my names. When I was taught to write my name it was AMY. In junior high I decided since it was short for Amelia it should be spelled AME, but no one could figure out how to pronounce that, so I went back to AMY and now only use Ame for special people. There was another Amy in my class and we used to be called Amy S and Amy A after the initials of our last names. We were both born in May of 1974. Her middle name is Ellen, and mine is Josephine. I really wanted to be called AJ but that never stuck ;) Some people still call me Amy Jo.

Nicknames for Amy: | Edit

Aim.
I have been called Aim by family and friends ever since I was born. The only people who call me Amy, are those who I have just met or are introduced to.

Amos.
I have a few close friends who call me Amos.

Meanings and history of the name Amy: | Edit

Amy is of Old French and Latin origin, and its meaning is "beloved".

Anglicised form of the Old French Aimee, meaning "beloved", which originated as a nickname from the Latin Amata, from "amare", meaning "to love".

Mythology: Amata was the wife of King Latinus, whose daughter Lavinia married Aeneas and according to the "Aeneid", became the mother of the Roman people.

Amelia Earhart was baptized Amelia (but always called Amy) after her mother Amelia "Amy" Otis Earhart (1869 – 1962).

Famous real-life people named Amy: | Edit

Amy Acker, American actress
Amy Adams, American actress
Amy Ashwood Garvey, Jamaican-born feminist
Amy Beach, American composer
Amy Brenneman, American actress
Amy Bruckner, American actress
Amy Carmichael, Missionary to India
Amy Carter, Political activist and daughter of President Jimmy Carter
Amy Chow, Gymnast
Amy Clampitt, American poet
Amy Cook, Musician
Amy Cotton, Canadian Judoka
Amy Cusack, American Actress
Amy Davidson, American actress
Amy Diamond, Swedish-British singer
Amy Dumas, American singer and former professional wrestler
Amy Grant, American Christian contemporary pop singer
Amy Irving, American actress
Amy Jo Johnson, American actress, singer-songwriter and musician
Amy Johnson, a noted English aviatrix
Amy Judith Levy, English poet
Amy Klobuchar, United States senator from Minnesota
Amy Lee, American singer-songwriter and pianist
Amy Lindsay, American actress
Amy Locane, Actress
Amy Lowell, American poet
Amy Lynn, American radio host
Amy Macdonald, Disambiguation
Amy Madigan, Actress
Amy Millan, Canadian singer-songwriter
Amy Poehler, American comedian and actress
Amy Ray, American singer-songwriter
Amy Ryan, American actress
Amy Schumer, American comedian and actress
Amy Sedaris, American actress, author, and comedian
Amy Smart, American actress and fashion model
Amy Studt, British singer-songwriter
Amy Tan, American writer
Amy Tong, American Judoka
Amy Van Dyken, American Olympic Swimmer
Amy Weber, American model, actress and former WWE Diva
Amy Winehouse, British singer-songwriter

Amy in song, story & screen: | Edit

Written Word:
Amy March, character in Louisa May Alcott's classic novel "Little Women".
Amy Sutton, a character in the Sweet Valley High series
Amy Dorritt, a character in Charles Dickens' "Little Dorritt"

Screen:
'Chasing Amy', 1997 film written by Kevin Smith
'Amy', 1977 film written by David Parker
'Amy', 1981 film written by Noreen Stone
Ami's dub name in the hit T.V. show Sailor Moon
Amy Gardner, a lobbyist and the First Lady's Chief of Staff in T.V. show The West Wing
Amy Rose, a character from the video game franchise Sonic the Hedgehog
Amy Sorel, a playable female character in the Soul series of fighting games
Amy Wong, a character in the T.V. show Futurama
Amy Madison, a character in the T.V. show Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Song:
"Amy's Back in Austin", song by Little Texas
"Once in Love With Amy", classic song by Frank Loesser, performed by Frank Sinatra and others
"Amie", song by Pure Prairie League
"Amy", song by Billy Redfield
"Amy", song by Bleu Edmondson
"Amy", song by Bobby Darin
"Amy", song by The Crash Motive
"Amy", song by Dirty Three
"Amy", song by Elton John
"Amy", song by Mark Ronson
"Amy", song by Mark Ronson featuring Kenna
"Amy", song by Percy Faith & His Orchestra
"Amy", song by Richard Julian
"Amy", song by River City High
"Amy", song by Ryan Adams
"Amy", song by This World Fair
"Amy", song by THREELEGGEDDOG
"Amy Amy Amy", song by Amy Winehouse
"We Made You" By Eminem
"Once in Love with Amy" Frank Sinatra