The surname Ames is usually either French or Hebrew in origin. The French name comes from the verb amie, meaning a friend or a beloved. In Hebrew it means burden. The name may also be a contraction of Ambrose.

People with the surname Ames:

• Adelbert Ames
• Adrienne Ames
• Aldrich Ames
• Bruce Ames
• Ed Ames
• Fisher Ames
• James Barr Ames
• Jonathan Ames
• Joseph Ames
• Leon Ames
• Leslie Ames
• Oakes Ames — (1804 – 1873) American manufacturer (shovels, Union Pacific railroad), capitalist, and member of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts
• Rachel Ames
• Red Ames
• Stephen Ames
• William Ames
• The Ames Brothers

Ames can also refer to:

• the name of several places in the United States:
  • Ames, Iowa (named after Oakes Ames)
  • Ames, New York
  • Ames, Oklahoma
  • Ames, Texas
  • Ames Lake, Washington
• Ames crater
• the Ames test
• Ames Department Store
• NASA Ames Research Center
• the Ames was an American car.