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Anthony

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Anthony
Gendermale
Origin
Word/nameAntonius
Meaningpriceless, highly praiseworthy or flourishing
Other names
Related namesAntony, Antoine, Anton, Antonio

Anthony or Antony is a masculine given name, (ninth most popular male first name in the United States as of 2006), derived from Antonius, a Roman family name (a Roman gens to which Mark Antony belonged). That name seems to have come originally from the Etruscan language, although nothing further is known about this derivation. "Anthony" is equivalent to Antoine in French, Antonio in Italian and Spanish, and Anton in German and Romanian. The usual abbreviated form is Tony (sometimes "Tone" or "Ant"). Its use as a Christian name was due to the veneration of St Anthony the Great, the founder of Christian monasticism, particularly in France. Also significant was the later cult of St Antony of Padua. The spelling with "h" is not found until the 16th century when Camden gave the etymology as being from the Greek anthos. The spelling pronunciation later became usual in the United States but not in the British Isles.[1]

In the United States, it is the seventh most popular male name as of 2008, according to the Social Security Administration.[2] When the background is Italian, Nino or Toni, shortened from Antonino, are used.

Spelling and Pronunciation

The name was historically spelled Antony, as used in Shakespeare's play Antony and Cleopatra. In the seventeenth century, the letter "h" was inserted into the spelling on the mistaken belief that the name derived from the Greek word ανθος (anthos), meaning "flower"[3]. In Britain, the historical pronunciation /ˈæntəni/ predominates for both spellings, while in the United States the spelling pronunciation /ˈænθəni/ is more common when the "Anthony" spelling is used.[4]

Famous people with this name

In politics

In music

In sports

In media

In other fields

Fictional people

See also

Disambiguation pages for other meanings
Disambiguation pages for other spellings
Disambiguation pages for this name in combination with others

References

  1. ^ Withycombe, E. G. (1950) The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names; 2nd ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press; pp. 26-27
  2. ^ http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/
  3. ^ Behind the Name - Anthony, Behind The Name
  4. ^ Wells, John C. (1990). Longman pronunciation dictionary. Harlow, England: Longman. p. 30. ISBN 0582053838. entry "Anthony"
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