Anthony
Masculine · “No established meaning”
Anthony is overwhelmingly a boys’ name — 1,488,042 boys against 7,114 girls since 1880. See Anthony as a girl name
Anthony comes down from the Roman family name Antonius, worn by senators and generals before it was ever a Christian name, and it has been in continuous English use since the Middle Ages. The h in the middle is an English addition, tucked in centuries ago by scholars who thought the name had Greek roots; the older spelling Antony survives beside it. Three syllables that settle quickly into one — Tony — which has been the short form for as long as anyone has records of it.
How old is the name Anthony?
Anthony was already in use when US birth records began in 1880 — it is at least 145 years old. The typical Anthony alive today was born around 1981, making them about 44 years old. About 1,218,000 people named Anthony are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Anthony most popular?
Anthony peaked in 2007, reaching #7 nationally. Today it ranks #46, 39 places below that high. See the whole 2007 chart.
Where it comes from
From Antonius to Anthony
The story of Anthony
The name begins as a Roman clan name, Antonius, carried most famously by Marcus Antonius in the last century of the Republic. Christianity gave it a second life: Anthony the Great, the Egyptian hermit of the third and fourth centuries, and Anthony of Padua, the thirteenth-century Franciscan preacher, made it one of the standard baptismal names of Catholic Europe. From there it spread as Antonio in Italy and Spain, Antoine in France, Anton in the German and Slavic lands, and Anthony in England, where medieval clerks added the silent h. It traveled to the Americas along several of those roads at once, which is part of why it remains strongly represented in California, Texas and New York.
Meaningnot established
No established meaning; the Roman name behind it has never been decoded
Anthony descends from the Latin family name Antonius, borne by the gens Antonia of Rome. Its origin is generally thought to be Etruscan rather than Latin, and Etruscan is only partly understood, so no meaning can be given. The popular gloss 'priceless' or 'flower' comes from the inserted h and a mistaken link to Greek anthos, 'flower' — an error in etymology, though a very old and well-loved one.
Cultural footprint
Anthony Hopkins (b. 1937) — Two-time Oscar winner, unforgettable as Hannibal Lecter
Anthony Bourdain (b. 1956) — The chef who took America around the world
Source: Wikidata — the one source on this page that is not an official agency.
How the name formed
- Antonius
- Antony
- Anthony
Related forms: Antonio · Antonio · Antoine · Anton · Antoni · António
Pronouncing Anthony
AN-thuh-nee
Standard in the United States. In Britain and Australia the h is often silent — AN-tuh-nee — and both are correct for the same spelling, so expect to state your preference occasionally.
Nicknames for Anthony
High
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1880
- Most boys named
- 198924,423 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #7reached in 2007
- Change vs 2022
- −9.7%5,967 in 2025, from 6,607
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Anthony in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Antonio in Italian — same name
- Antonio in Spanish — same name
- Antoine in French — same name
- Anton in German — same name
- Antoni in Polish — same name
- António in Portuguese — same name
Strongest US states over the last decade: California, Texas, New York. International figures from Statistics Canada. Sources
Anthonys among us
people named Anthony are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 286 born in 2025 was named Anthony
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
The Justin test
Every popular name lives one long story — a climb, a peak, a slow settling back. Anthony's later chapters haven't been written yet, so we borrowed them: Justin climbed just as high around 1988, and its whole arc is on record. Line the two peaks up, and Justin's path sketches the road Anthony is walking now.
Anthony has held the top-100 across 15 different decades — it has never depended on fashion, and names like that read the same at any age.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Anthony is headed
Anthony should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind.
High confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Anthony beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Anthony in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- An unbroken record in English since the Middle Ages, and used steadily by every generation since American records began.
- Tony is a ready-made short form that needs no explaining, and works from playground to boardroom.
- Recognizable across languages: Antonio, Antoine, Anton and Antoni are all the same name to relatives abroad.
- A spelling almost everyone in the US already knows, so it rarely needs to be repeated letter by letter.
- Carries a saint's name in Catholic tradition, which matters for many families choosing a baptismal name.
- The h is silent for many speakers and not for others, so the name has two accepted pronunciations and your child may correct people occasionally.
- Antony, without the h, is the older spelling and still in use — some people will default to it in writing.
- Tony will arrive whether you invite it or not. If you want the full three syllables used, say so early and often.
- Because it has been given consistently for generations, most Anthonys your child meets will be adults rather than classmates.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Anthony to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Anthony? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Anthony
Masculine · #46 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Anthonys are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 1,218,000 people named Anthony are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Anthony in 2025?
- Anthony ranks #46 among US boy names in 2025, with 5,967 babies given the name.
- How common is the name Anthony?
- About 1 in every 286 US boys born in 2025 was named Anthony — 5,967 in all.
- Will my child share the name Anthony with classmates?
- Anthony will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Anthony
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Carter#45 · Isaac#47 · Charles#48 · Miles#44 · Jacob#43 · Maverick#49 · Roman#42 · Thiago#50
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Anthony? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Anthony and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Or jump into a head-to-head
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration; international figures from national statistics agencies. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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