Toney
Toney was the 11855th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 6 babies. Its best year was 1888, when it ranked 501st; the most babies were born in 1961 (187). Over the last ten years it has moved down 3,867 places. More babies were named Toney in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Tony) short for Anthony (Roman family name) · Latin, English
- Rank in 2025
- #11,855 boys, down 3,859 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 6boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1961187 babies
- Total since 1880
- 6,610babies recorded
What does the name Toney mean?
Toney is a spelling of Tony, pronounced the same way, so it shares Tony's meaning and origin.
Tony is a clipping of Anthony or Antony, as Wiktionary notes. DMNES explains Anthony as Latin Antonius, a Roman family name, possibly of Etruscan origin, and lists a 4th-century Egyptian saint and a 13th-century Italian saint among its bearers. The meaning of Antonius is unknown; the popular link with Greek anthos, flower, finds no support in DMNES. Tony has been used in the US since 1880 and was most common around 1960.
Antōnius (Latin, “Roman family name (perhaps Etruscan)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. DMNES: Roman gens name, possibly Etruscan; meaning unknown.
Other explanations you may read: Means 'flower' (Greek anthos) or 'priceless'. These are later associations; the Roman name's meaning is unknown..
Related names: Anthony, Antonio, Toni, Antoine.
See also: Latin names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Tony' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Anthony', DMNES (Durham University)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Toney popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 194 since 1915.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #11,855 | 6 |
| 2020 | #7,996 | 10 |
| 2010 | #4,829 | 20 |
| 2000 | #3,751 | 22 |
| 1990 | #1,699 | 48 |
| 1980 | #1,271 | 54 |
| 1970 | #774 | 114 |
| 1960 | #668 | 139 |
| 1950 | #864 | 64 |
| 1940 | #829 | 58 |
| 1930 | #1,747 | 19 |
| 1920 | #1,070 | 44 |
| 1910 | #1,113 | 10 |
| 1900 | #574 | 19 |
| 1890 | #664 | 10 |
| 1880 | #801 | 7 |
How popular is Toney, counting every spelling?
Toney is a spelling of Tony, a name family that ranked #743 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #11,855 for Toney on its own. Together these spellings went to 337 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tony | 325 | #784 | 1,699 |
| Toney | 6 | #11,855 | 34 |
| Tonny | 6 | #11,856 | 31 |
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 Toney?
6 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Toney (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Toney 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 1,368 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Toney.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Toney?
About 4,100 people born in the US named Toney are alive today, with a median age of 58; half are between 41 and 66. That makes Toney 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.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Toney: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Toney, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Toney
What does Toney mean?
Toney is a spelling of Tony, usually explained as “short for Anthony (Roman family name)”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Toney?
Toney was the 11855th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 6 babies. Its best year was 1888, when it ranked 501st; the most babies were born in 1961 (187). Over the last ten years it has moved down 3,867 places. More babies were named Toney in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Is Toney a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Toney in the US.