<P> The surname Ames is usually either French or Hebrew in origin . The French name comes from the noun amie, meaning a friend or a beloved . In Hebrew it literally means burden, but is actually derived from the eponymous Hebrew prophet Amos . The name may also be a contraction of Ambrose or Eames . </P> <Ul> <Li> A.A. Ames (Albert Alonzo Ames, 1842--1911), American physician and politician </Li> <Li> Adelaide Ames (1900--1932), American astronomer, co-author of the Shapley - Ames Catalog </Li> <Li> Adelbert Ames (1835--1933), American Civil War general </Li> <Li> Adelbert Ames Jr. (1880--1955), American scientist </Li> <Li> Adrienne Ames (1907--1947), American film actress </Li> <Li> Aldrich Ames (born 1941), convicted spy for the Soviet Union </Li> <Li> Alfred Elisha Ames, American physician and politician </Li> <Li> Blanche Ames Ames (1878--1969), artist, inventor, writer, and prominent supporter of women's suffrage and birth control </Li> <Li> Blanche Butler Ames (1847--1939), the wife of Gen. Adelbert Ames </Li> <Li> Bruce Ames (born 1928), American biochemist </Li> <Li> Cheney Ames (1808--1892), New York politician </Li> <Li> David Ames (disambiguation), several people </Li> <Li> DeHart H. Ames (1872--1955), New York politician </Li> <Li> Ed Ames (born 1927), American popular singer and actor </Li> <Li> Fisher Ames (1758--1808), Congressman from Massachusetts </Li> <Li> Frederick Lothrop Ames (1835--1893), grandson of Oliver Ames, Sr . </Li> <Li> Frederick Lothrop Ames, Jr. (1876--1921), great - grandson of Oliver Ames, Sr . </Li> <Li> Hermes L. Ames (1865--1920), New York politician </Li> <Li> James Ames (disambiguation), several people </Li> <Li> John Ames (disambiguation), several people </Li> <Li> Jonathan Ames (born 1964), American author </Li> <Li> Joseph Ames (disambiguation), several people </Li> <Li> Keith Ames (born 1933), English former professional footballer </Li> <Li> Leon Ames (1902--1993), American actor </Li> <Li> Les Ames (1905--1990), English cricketer </Li> <Li> Nathaniel Ames (1708--1764), American almanac maker </Li> <Li> Oakes Ames (1804--1873), American manufacturer and Congressman from Massachusetts </Li> <Li> Oakes Ames (botanist) (1874--1950), American botanist </Li> <Li> Oakes Angier Ames (1829--1899), industrialist and philanthropist from Massachusetts </Li> <Li> Oliver Ames (disambiguation), several people </Li> <Li> Rachel Ames (born 1929), American actress </Li> <Li> Ramsay Ames (1919--1998), American movie actress </Li> <Li> Red Ames (1882--1936), Major League Baseball pitcher </Li> <Li> Roger Ames (born 1942), American Anglican priest </Li> <Li> Roger T. Ames, prominent sinologist, linguist, and translator of a version of the Analects of Confucius and the Zhongyong </Li> <Li> Rosemary Ames (1906--1988), American film actress </Li> <Li> Samuel Ames (1824--1875), New York politician </Li> <Li> Samuel Ames (jurist), Chief Justice of Rhode Island 1856--1866 </Li> <Li> Solace Ames, American writer </Li> <Li> Stephen Ames (born 1964), golfer from Trinidad and Tobago and Canada </Li> <Li> Taylor Ames (born 1992), singer and songwriter from London, England </Li> <Li> William Ames (1576 - 1633), English theologian </Li> <Li> William Ames (Quaker) (died 1662), English preacher </Li> <Li> William Thayer Ames (1901--1987), American composer </Li> <Li> Winthrop Ames (1870--1937) American producer and playwright; son of Oakes Angier Ames </Li> <Li> The Ames Brothers, a singing quartet </Li> </Ul>

Where does the last name ames come from