Amy
Amy is an English feminine given name, the English version of the French Aimée, which means ''
beloved''. It was used as a diminutive of the Latin name Amata, a name derived from the passive participle of ''amare,'' “to love”. The name has been in use in the
Anglosphere since the
Middle Ages. It was among the 50 most popular names for girls in England between 1538 and 1700. It was popularized in the 19th century in the
Anglosphere by a character in
Sir Walter Scott's 1821 novel ''
Kenilworth'', which was based on the story of
Amy Robsart.
Enslaved Black women in the United States prior to the
American Civil War were more likely to bear the name than white American women because slave masters often chose their names from literary sources. The name declined in use after 1880 but was revived due to the hit song ''Once in Love with Amy'' from the 1948 Broadway musical ''
Where's Charley?''. The name peaked in usage in the United States between 1973 and 1976, when it was among the five most popular names for American girls. It remained among the top 250 names for American girls in the early 2020s.
Provided by Wikipedia
