File Amity with the vintage virtue names that sound fresh and intriguing today.
Thanks to Sharmila for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.
WHAT DOES THE NAME AMITY MEAN?
The name comes from the Latin amicus – friendly.
While some virtue names feel like a lot of pressure – think Patience, Temperance, Chastity – Amity, and the concept of friendship, seems far more universal.
Parents are wild about Grace, and Felicity and Mercy are enjoying more use today than in prior years. Promise ranks in the United States Top 1000. There’s a place for names that feel worthy, if not specifically spiritual.
WAS AMITY A PURITAN NAME?
The baby name Amity sounds like the kind of name you’d expect to hear at Plymouth Rock.
But that’s not quite right.
During the early Middle Ages, Amicus – the Latin word – appears as a given name in Europe. Feminine form Amice has a good run, too. (Though Amos, Ambrose, and other Am- names aren’t all related.)
As a given name, it’s tough to pin down the first-ever Amity. But Curiosities of Puritan Nomenclature lists two.
And, of course, while we imagine Puritan parents choosing between Flee-Fornication and Humiliation, the truth is that even religiously observant families often named their children things like Ann and John.
Still, it seems like Amice and Amicus were mostly forgotten when Amity re-surfaced in the 1600s.
The name appears in sparing use in US Census records over the years.
PLACES NAMED AMITY
There’s more than one place named Amity.
In fact, the name appears on the map throughout the English-speaking world.
Some of them are far more famous than others.
In 1975, a giant shark terrified a seaside town in the first-ever summer blockbuster: Jaws. The name of that town? Amity Island. (The 1974 novel set the events off the coast of Long Island, New York, but the movie was filmed on location in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.) It’s a fictional place, but an unforgettable one.
And then came The Amityville Horror, a 1977 novel turned 1979 movie. Sequels and remakes followed, the most recent in 2017. While it’s based on a real tragedy, the later stories veer farther and farther away from any actual events.
HOW POPULAR IS THE BABY NAME AMITY?
Between the shark and the haunted house, you might imagine parents steered clear of the name.
Not so.
In 1972, 33 girls received the name. By 1979, it reached a peak of 119 births.
What explains the rise?
It seems like the movie mentions actually did propel the name up the popularity charts.
Another factor? Amy occupied the US Top Ten from 1969 through 1982. Amity almost feels like an elaboration of the shorter name. After all, variations like Aimee were also trending in the same era.
Plus, we’ve always loved three-syllable, ends-with-y names for girls.
Despite enjoying a spike in use during the 1970s, the name was given to just 53 girls in 2024.
STYLISH RARITY
Amity trended a little more popular in recent years. One possible reason? The young adult series Divergent gives the name to one of the five factions, or social groups.
Or maybe it’s boosted by the rise of Felicity, a Top 500 name with a similar feel.
If you’re looking for a meaningful name with a great meaning and a stylish sound, the baby name Amity might belong on your list.
What do you think of the baby name Amity?
First published on May 14, 2009, this post was revised on February 27, 2020 and November 29, 2025.
My name is Amity, and growing up I got a lot of “AmityVille Horror” comments. However, now that the faction ‘Amity’ appeared in a popular movie, the newest generation has forgotten all about it’s horror reference.
I have never been able to be called by a nickname, just because nothing really fit.
Strangers and children have a difficult time saying my name, which can be awkward. They often mispronounce my name as AMNETY. When servers ask for my name for an order, I typically give them my middle name (Kaelynn).
It’s a very unique name with a great meaning (I was named after the town Amity in Oregon), however, there are plenty of downsides.
My name is Amity and I’ve only heard comments about the movies a handful of times. There weren’t many people while I was growing up that would ask a child about Jaws or Amityville Horror. Today, maybe. Back then? No.
My family calls me Am, but everyone else uses Amity. I like it and get lots of comments about how pretty it is (as if I had something to do with it!)
Similar experience. I did get the movie references quite a bit, but I learned to habe fun with it and embraced it! Definitely more compliments though than playful jokes. Just realized how old this post is!
I think I prefer Verity as an underused virtue name, both for meaning and sound.
Amity is one of the factions in Divergent and will be the reference for the next generation of baby-namers.
I think Amity has a sweet sound. I love the nickname Mitty.