boy's name
Anthony
AN-thuh-nee
- Origin Latin
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 3
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 1,738,306
the United States
#46
2025 births
Anthony is a boy's name from the Roman family name Antonius, whose meaning is genuinely unknown — it is probably Etruscan rather than Latin. The common translation "priceless" comes from a Renaissance guess linking it to the Greek anthos, meaning flower, which scholars reject.
- Anthony is a name of Latin origin.
- Peaked in 1990, when 25,188 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 555 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Anthony over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 1,611 |
| 1890s | 2,458 |
| 1900s | 5,048 |
| 1910s | 35,772 |
| 1920s | 50,349 |
| 1930s | 42,800 |
| 1940s | 65,023 |
| 1950s | 137,192 |
| 1960s | 204,449 |
| 1970s | 176,284 |
| 1980s | 213,523 |
| 1990s | 216,984 |
| 2000s | 192,296 |
| 2010s | 112,294 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 39,073 |
What Anthony means
Anthony has no recoverable meaning. Antonius was an inherited Roman clan name, most likely borrowed from Etruscan, a language we cannot fully read. The familiar glosses — priceless, praiseworthy, flourishing — are later inventions rather than translations.
Where Anthony comes from
Anthony descends from the Latin Antonius, the name of a Roman gens whose most famous member was Marcus Antonius, the Mark Antony of the civil wars and of Shakespeare's play. The clan name is generally considered Etruscan in origin, which means its sense is lost with that language. During the Renaissance a false etymology attached the name to the Greek anthos, meaning flower — this is also why English inserted an h that Latin never had, producing Anthony rather than Antony. The name's spread through Christian Europe follows Saint Anthony the Great, a third-century Egyptian hermit regarded as a founder of monasticism, and later Saint Anthony of Padua, invoked for lost objects.
Anthony in use
The h in Anthony was added on the strength of a false Renaissance etymology; Latin had no h in Antonius.
How popular is Anthony?
In 2025, Anthony was given to 5,977 babies in the United States, ranking #46 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Anthony is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Anthony
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Anthony also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Anthony over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Anthony
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Anthony in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Anthony
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Anthony — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Anthony
What does the name Anthony mean?
Its meaning is unknown. Antonius was a Roman clan name, most likely Etruscan, and the common gloss "priceless" is a Renaissance invention.
Why is there an h in Anthony?
It was added during the Renaissance on the mistaken assumption that the name came from the Greek anthos, meaning flower.
What are nicknames for Anthony?
Tony is by far the most common, with Ant also in use.
How popular is the name Anthony?
In 2025, Anthony was given to 5,977 babies in the United States, ranking #46 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Is Anthony a girl's or a boy's name?
Anthony is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Anthony?
Anthony has 3 syllables.
When was Anthony most popular?
Anthony peaked in 1990, when 25,188 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
Is Anthony a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Anthony currently ranks #46 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.