girl's name
Tonya
TAHN-yuh
- Origin English
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 121,330
Scotland
#577
1974 births
Tonya is a short form of Antonia, and its meaning is unknown — the Roman family name Antonius has no established derivation, and the flower reading widely given for it is a Renaissance invention.
- Tonya is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 1972, when 7,273 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 301,477 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1923.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Tonya over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1920s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1920s | 7 |
| 1930s | 123 |
| 1940s | 944 |
| 1950s | 4,694 |
| 1960s | 34,192 |
| 1970s | 58,047 |
| 1980s | 18,044 |
| 1990s | 3,664 |
| 2000s | 775 |
| 2010s | 279 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 87 |
What Tonya means
Tonya has no securely known meaning, because Antonia does not. The Roman gens name Antonius is probably Etruscan, and no derivation for it has ever been established.
Where Tonya comes from
Tonya shortens Antonia, the feminine of the Roman Antonius — a family name of probable Etruscan origin whose meaning has never been recovered. The flower gloss that circulates for Anthony came from Renaissance scholars linking it to the Greek anthos, and the h in the English spelling was inserted to match a connection that does not exist. Tonya belongs to the same mid-century American fashion for -ya and -a endings that produced Tanya and Sonya, and the three are often confused despite three unrelated origins.
Tonya in use
Tonya peaked in the United States in 1972, when 7,273 babies were registered, and now ranks 9318th on 11 births — a fall by a factor of roughly 659, among the steepest in our data. It charts in exactly one of the six markets we track, across 121,330 lifetime births. Our records carry it only from 1923, so the whole rise and collapse fits inside a century.
How popular is Tonya?
In 2025, Tonya was given to 11 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Where Tonya 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 Tonya
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Tonya also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Tonya over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Tonya 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 Tonya
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Tonya — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Tonya
What does the name Tonya mean?
Not known. Antonia comes from the Roman Antonius, which has no established derivation.
Is Tonya the same as Tanya?
No — three unrelated names converged on similar sounds. Tanya is from Tatiana and Sonya from Sofia.
Does Anthony mean flower?
No. That was a Renaissance guess, and the h was inserted into the English spelling to match it.
How far has Tonya fallen?
From 7,244 American births in 1972 to 11 — a factor of roughly 659.
How popular is the name Tonya?
In 2025, Tonya was given to 11 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Is Tonya a girl's or a boy's name?
Tonya is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Tonya?
Tonya has 2 syllables.
When was Tonya most popular?
Tonya peaked in 1972, when 7,273 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
Is Tonya a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Tonya currently ranks #9,318 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.