Antoinette
Antoinette was the 3002nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 55 babies. Its best year was 1914, when it ranked 170th; the most babies were born in 1924 (1,333). Over the last ten years it has moved down 646 places. More babies were named Antoinette in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning feminine of Antoine (Anthony) · French, Latin
Say it an-twuh-NET /ˌæntwəˈnɛt/
- Rank in 2025
- #3,002 girls, down 561 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 55girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19241,333 babies
- Total since 1880
- 78,789babies recorded
What does the name Antoinette mean?
Antoinette is a French feminine diminutive of Antoine, the French form of Anthony, from the Roman family name Antonius. DMNES records Antoinette in French-speaking records from the 1560s and notes that Antonius may be of Etruscan origin; its meaning is unknown. Its best-known bearer is Marie Antoinette, the French queen executed in 1793. The popular link with the Greek word for "flower" is a later folk explanation.
Antonius (Latin, “Roman family name, possibly Etruscan, meaning unknown”)
How sure is this? Well established. The derivation from Antoine/Antonius is certain; the meaning of Antonius is unknown.
Other explanations you may read: Antony/Anthony means 'flower' (Greek anthos).
Related names: Antonia, Toni, Nettie, Antonette, Anthony.
See also: Latin names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Antoinette', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Antonia', DMNES (Durham University)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Anthony', DMNES (Durham University)
Nicknames for Antoinette
The usual nicknames for Antoinette are Toni, Netta and Nettie. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Antoinette in the last five years, 170 were named Toni, against 237 twenty years earlier. Nettie is also gaining on the full name.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toni · also for Antonio, Antonella, Antonia | Traditional | #2,274 | 495 |
| Netta | Traditional | #10,682 | 28 |
| Nettie · also for Annette, Jeanette, Henrietta | Traditional | #5,663 | 96 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Antoinettes go by each one.
Antoinette popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 68 since 1928.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,002 | 55 |
| 2020 | #2,441 | 71 |
| 2010 | #2,119 | 93 |
| 2000 | #991 | 214 |
| 1990 | #354 | 753 |
| 1980 | #389 | 590 |
| 1970 | #288 | 1,020 |
| 1960 | #307 | 932 |
| 1950 | #260 | 860 |
| 1940 | #227 | 741 |
| 1930 | #197 | 976 |
| 1920 | #180 | 1,162 |
| 1910 | #200 | 320 |
| 1900 | #282 | 133 |
| 1890 | #310 | 66 |
| 1880 | #375 | 19 |
How popular is Antoinette, counting every spelling?
Antoinette has no other common spelling that sounds the same.
How many kids will share the name Antoinette?
55 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Antoinette (0.02 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Antoinette born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 152 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Antoinette.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Antoinette?
About 42,400 people born in the US named Antoinette are alive today, with a median age of 58; half are between 42 and 70. That makes Antoinette a name most people associate with older generations.
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.
Antoinette by state
How common Antoinette was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 43 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Antoinette: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Antoinette, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Antoinette · Sibling names for Antoinette
Questions about the name Antoinette
What does Antoinette mean?
Antoinette means “feminine of Antoine (Anthony)” (French, Latin origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Antoinette?
Antoinette was the 3002nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 55 babies. Its best year was 1914, when it ranked 170th; the most babies were born in 1924 (1,333). Over the last ten years it has moved down 646 places. More babies were named Antoinette in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Antoinette a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Antoinette in the US.
Where is Antoinette most popular?
In 2021–2025, Antoinette was most common in Washington (0.05 per 1,000 girls), followed by New York and Illinois.