File Amity with the vintage virtue names that sound fresh and intriguing today.
Thanks to Sharmila for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.
YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND
The name comes from the Latin amicus – friendly.
While some virtue names feel like a lot of pressure – think Patience, Temperance, Chastity – Amity seems far more universal.
Parents are wild about Grace, and Felicity and Mercy are enjoying more use today than in prior years. And Promise debuted in the US Top 1000 recently. There’s a place for names that feel worthy, if not specifically spiritual.
PURITAN NAME?
It sounds like the kind of name you’d expect to hear at Plymouth Rock. But the story twists and turns.
In 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.
ON THE MAP
There’s more than one place named Amity.
In fact, the name appears on the map throughout the English-speaking world. And 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 murder, the later stories veer farther and farther away from any actual events.
BY THE NUMBERS
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.
Plus, we’ve always loved three-syllable, ends-with-y names for girls.
RARITY
Despite enjoying a spike in use during the 1970s, the name was given to just 37 girls in 2018.
That’s just a little higher 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 similar choice. Verity is also on the rise, given to 110 girls in 2018 – a new high.
If you’re looking for a meaningful name with a great meaning and a stylish sound, Amity might belong on your list.
Do you think the horror movie/shark connotations are an issue with this name? Or does the meaning and the sound outweigh those factors?
First published on May 14, 2009, this post was revised and re-posted on February 27, 2020.
I love Amity and Verity, and am trying super hard to convince Erik for them, but so far no luck! I think they’re incredibly beautiful, though I love almost every virtue names!
I knew a woman named Amity years ago and I’ve loved the name ever since! It doesn’t work at all with my last name, unfortunately. Otherwise, I definitely would have short-listed it. It’s my favorite of the virtue names.
I first started considering Amity when thinking up names that honored my grandmother, who is Amita. I find it the most appealing of the virtue names because as you said, it feels the most universal. After all, Grace may not be graceful, but Amity will (hopefully) have friends!
Horror movies have never been my thing, so I didn’t even make the connection between Amity and The Amityville Horror until I asked a question about the name on Yahoo! Answers. Even so, I don’t think it’s anything to worry about.
I’m still on the fence about Amity’s usability for me, but I’d love to see more of her!
Way back in my middle school years, when I first became a name enthusiast, Amity was one of my favorite girls’ names. I think it appealed to me because its rhythm was similar to Emily (my own name), but I had never heard it used on a real person.
It’s one of the few name choices from my middle school years I’m not embarrassed to share. You want to hear the worst? Xylie — I “invented” it from Xylia and Xylina, which I first read in my mom’s “What Shall We Name the Baby?” book. Actually, with the Hayley/Kaylee/Kylie craze, I’m surprised I haven’t seen Xylie “invented” by anyone else.
Anyway, back to Amity. Because I wasn’t born until 1981, and because I’ve never had a strong interest in horror movies, I never saw Jaws in full, and I had never even heard of The Amityville Horror until recently (and then only in name post discussing the usability of Amity). So those references don’t bug me a bit. I still like Amity. She’s not on my list anymore, but I’m always delighted to see her on other people’s lists.
I adore Amity — that, Verity and Mercy are 1, 2, 3 on my list of virtue names [of which I only like a handful]. Strangely though, while my husband and I like those names for girls [I have a Puritan-era grandmother named Mercy], we actually prefer them for boys.
I don’t mind Amity – she’s sweet and feminine yet still looks clean and streamlined to me. I do worry that she may be a little *too* sweet though. The movie connotation isn’t really there for me. I’ve somehow never seen Jaws, and the Amityville Horror connection doesn’t stick, so that doesn’t deter me 🙂
Though, I really dislike Amy – I find her a little bland, as growing up in the 80s, Amy was a solid Top 20 pick.
I am definitely not a fan of virtues at all, though she does appeal to me; I’d be charmed to hear her on another’s child!
I really prefer Amy. But Amity is my favourite of the virtue names. It’s a nice meaning, but I have the same concern with this one as I do with a lot of the virtue names – it’s a lot to live up to, no?
Amity is my favorite virtue name. (Verity comes in a close second). I like their meanings, and I find Amity most cheerful. The other half digs Horror (as you well know) so Amity s right up his alley for the flick(s), while she appeals to me because friendly is about as happy a meaning as one can find!
I never did buy that “true” movie and Jaws made me laugh at 8. Growing up in Central NJ, land of sharks in the rivers, I know they’re nothing to laugh at, but those were just so fake looking (even now they ring kind of off a bit). The only stopping point for me? the possible nickname, Amy. I lived through the Carter administration, Amy Carter is about 3 months younger than I am. Blah. The name’s sweet, but not substantial enough for me. Amy floats out of my mouth and off down the street. But Amity is perfectly fine with me. So she shows up occasionally in the middle, so she won’t ever get shortened! Lovely Amity! (reminds me of Dimity, the fabric, too) 😀
I like Amity OK, but I agree that the horror film stuff might be a bit much… Amica has the same latin root without the horror association; I would be inclined to lean toward Amica over Amity. It’s a safer alternative, but not quite as commonplace as Amy.
I’d probably just stick with Amy. Yeah, that’s playing it safe, I know.