Amy is a popular female given name of English origin. It means "beloved" or "dear friend." The name has been in use for centuries and was originally used as both a given name and a nickname. In the Middle Ages, it was used as a diminutive of names such as Amabel, Amabilis, and other names beginning with "Ama-". It could also be used as a shortened form of names such as Amelia or Amanda.
The name Amy has been popular throughout history, but its popularity has fluctuated over time. In the United States, for example, it was quite popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, then declined in usage until it regained popularity in the 1960s and 1970s.
Some famous people named Amy include:
* American actress Amy Adams
* British singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse
* Canadian-American actress Amy Sedaris
* American astronaut Dr. Bonnie "Amy" Dunbar
Overall, Amy is a classic name with a sweet meaning that has stood the test of time. Its popularity has waxed and waned over the centuries, but it remains a beloved choice for parents looking for a timeless name for their daughter.
The name Amy has been a popular choice for parents in the United States over the past century, with a total of 1,846 babies named Amy between 1911 and 2014.
The popularity of the name Amy fluctuated throughout this period. It started off relatively slowly, with only 5 births each year from 1911 to 1928. However, by the mid-1950s, its popularity began to rise significantly. In 1961, there were 18 babies named Amy, and this number continued to increase throughout the 1960s.
The peak of popularity for the name Amy occurred in 1974, with a total of 93 births that year. This trend continued through the late 1970s and early 1980s, with numbers ranging from 53 to 74 births per year.
However, as with many names, popularity for Amy began to decline in the mid-1980s. By the turn of the century, the number of babies named Amy had dropped significantly, with only 5 or 6 births per year between 2000 and 2014.
Despite this decline in recent years, it's clear that Amy has been a beloved name for parents in the United States over the past century. Its fluctuating popularity reflects the changing trends in baby naming, as well as the enduring appeal of classic names like Amy.