Anthony
Anthony was the 46th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 5,967 babies. Its best year was 2007, when it ranked 7th; the most babies were born in 1990 (25,088). Over the last ten years it has moved down 21 places. More babies were named Anthony in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Latin (possibly Etruscan)
Say it AN-thuh-nee /ˈænθəni/
- Rank in 2025
- #46 boys, down 5 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 5,967boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 199025,088 babies
- Total since 1880
- 1,495,156babies recorded
What does the name Anthony mean?
Anthony comes from Antonius, a Roman family name whose meaning is unknown; DMNES says it may be Etruscan. The 'h' in the English spelling came from a false link with Greek anthos, 'flower', which Wiktionary records as an influence. A 4th-century Egyptian saint bore it and gave his name to several medieval religious orders, and it has been in regular English use since the Middle Ages.
Antōnius (Latin, “Roman gens name”)ἄνθος (Ancient Greek, “flower (influence on spelling only)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain.
Other explanations you may read: Means 'flower' (from anthos).
See also: Latin names.
Nicknames for Anthony
The usual nicknames for Anthony are Tony and Ant. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Anthony in the last five years, 5 were named Tony, against 5 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tony · also for Antonio, Antoine | Traditional | #784 | 1,699 |
| Ant | Modern | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Anthonys go by each one.
Anthony popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 7,114 since 1896, 10 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #46 | 5,967 |
| 2020 | #41 | 7,037 |
| 2010 | #10 | 15,511 |
| 2000 | #17 | 19,656 |
| 1990 | #15 | 25,088 |
| 1980 | #24 | 17,604 |
| 1970 | #22 | 21,176 |
| 1960 | #25 | 19,499 |
| 1950 | #36 | 8,612 |
| 1940 | #46 | 4,769 |
| 1930 | #44 | 4,674 |
| 1920 | #43 | 4,944 |
| 1910 | #37 | 980 |
| 1900 | #67 | 406 |
| 1890 | #91 | 189 |
| 1880 | #103 | 130 |
How popular is Anthony, counting every spelling?
Anthony is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #53 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #46 for Anthony on its own. Together these spellings went to 5,980 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony | 5,967 | #46 | 31,996 |
| Anthoni | 8 | #8,964 | 47 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Anthony?
5,967 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Anthony (1.65 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Anthony born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is about 1 in 32. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 1 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Anthony.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Anthony?
About 1,193,600 people born in the US named Anthony are alive today, with a median age of 39; half are between 24 and 56. That makes Anthony mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Anthony by state
How common Anthony was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Delaware (2.4×), New Jersey (2.2×), Rhode Island (2.1×), Connecticut (2.0×), Massachusetts (1.9×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Vermont, North Dakota, Utah.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Anthony: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Anthony, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Anthony · Sibling names for Anthony
Questions about the name Anthony
What does Anthony mean?
The origin of Anthony is uncertain.
How popular is the name Anthony?
Anthony was the 46th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 5,967 babies. Its best year was 2007, when it ranked 7th; the most babies were born in 1990 (25,088). Over the last ten years it has moved down 21 places. More babies were named Anthony in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Is Anthony a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Anthony in the US.
Where is Anthony most popular?
In 2021–2025, Anthony was most common in Delaware (8.90 per 1,000 boys), followed by New Jersey and Rhode Island.