| Amos | Boaz | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Carried by God | in him is strength (disputed) |
| Origin | Hebrew | hebrew |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | AY-mus | BOH-az |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1928 |
| Peak year | 1922 (558) | 2025 (268) |
| In 2025 | 364 | 268 |
| Trend | Rising | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Amos | Boaz |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 2,463 | 1,342 |
| 2010s | 3,243 | 1,315 |
| 2000s | 1,788 | 477 |
| 1990s | 1,749 | 180 |
| 1980s | 2,321 | 89 |
| 1970s | 2,155 | 57 |
| 1960s | 2,086 | 11 |
| 1950s | 2,810 | 0 |
| 1940s | 2,767 | 0 |
| 1930s | 3,343 | 0 |
| 1920s | 4,891 | 5 |
| 1910s | 3,674 | 0 |
| 1900s | 1,062 | 0 |
| 1890s | 1,023 | 0 |
| 1880s | 1,161 | 0 |
Amos means “carried” or “borne by God.” Amos is a prophet.
Scholarly readings favor 'in him is strength' or 'in strength,' from be 'in' + oz (root '-z-z, 'to be strong'). An alternative traces it to a root meaning 'swiftness, quickness,' and Martin Noth preferred 'sharp mind.' The name of Ruth's husband and of a pillar of Solomon's Temple. The widespread name-site gloss 'swiftness' is weaker than the 'strength' reading; meaning is debated.
Amos is more popular than Boaz today: about 364 US babies were given the name Amos in 2025, compared with 268 named Boaz.
Amos means Carried by God (Hebrew origin), while Boaz means in him is strength (disputed) (hebrew origin).
In US records, Amos first appears in 1880 and Boaz in 1928, so Amos has the longer recorded history.