Anthony is a popular given name of Latin origin, derived from the Roman family name Antonius. The name has a long and rich history, dating back to ancient times.
The name Antonius is believed to have been first used by Marcus Antonius, a prominent Roman politician and general who lived in the 1st century BC. He was known for his military prowess and political acumen, and was even given the title of "the Liberator" due to his role in freeing Rome from foreign oppression.
The name Antonius is thought to have been derived from the Latin word "anthos," which means "flower." This could indicate that the name had a connection to nature or beauty. However, some sources suggest that the name may actually be of Etruscan origin, and that it meant "priceless" or "highly valuable."
Over time, the name Antonius evolved into Anthony in English-speaking countries. It was popular among early Christians, possibly because Saint Anthony the Great, an Egyptian monk who lived in the 3rd century AD, was named Anthony.
Today, Anthony is a widely used given name for boys throughout the world. It has also been adopted as a surname in many cultures. Some famous people named Anthony include the actor Anthony Hopkins, the musician Anthony Kiedis, and the former US president Anthony Kennedy.
The name Anthoney has been a part of the American landscape for over a century, with its first recorded appearance in the United States being in 1905 with six births that year. The number of births fluctuated throughout the early to mid-20th century, ranging from five to twelve births per year between 1905 and 1946.
However, a significant increase in popularity occurred during the late 1940s and into the 1950s. In 1946, there were fourteen Anthoney births, which more than doubled by 1952 with twenty-five births that year. The name continued to gain traction throughout the 1950s, reaching a peak of forty-two births in 1959.
The popularity of the name Anthoney remained relatively stable throughout the 1960s and 1970s, with an average of around forty births per year. However, it began to decline in the late 1970s and into the 1980s, with fewer than fifty births recorded each year during this period.
Since the mid-1980s, the name Anthoney has continued to decrease in popularity, with an average of around thirty births per year between 1985 and 2023. Despite this decline, there have been several recent spikes in popularity, such as fifty-two births in 1987 and forty-six births in both 1992 and 1994.
In total, over the past 118 years, there have been 2,798 recorded births of Anthoney in the United States. While the name has seen fluctuations in popularity over time, it remains a classic choice for parents looking for a timeless name with a rich history.