Anthony
Say it: AN-tho-nee/ˈænθəni/
Boy7 letters3 syllables
#135
in Ireland (2025)
40
babies in 2025
#12
best rank (1964)
17,332
babies since 1964
Down 52
10-year rank change
Anthony through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (boys) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 40 | #135 |
| 2024 | 55 | #105 |
| 2023 | 56 | #105 |
| 2022 | 69 | #92 |
| 2021 | 53 | #121 |
| 2020 | 64 | #94 |
| 2019 | 70 | #97 |
| 2018 | 68 | #99 |
| 2017 | 87 | #81 |
| 2016 | 84 | #86 |
| 2015 | 88 | #83 |
| 2014 | 89 | #89 |
| 2013 | 100 | #79 |
| 2012 | 77 | #99 |
| 2011 | 94 | #83 |
| 2010 | 92 | #86 |
| 2009 | 100 | #80 |
| 2008 | 101 | #80 |
| 2007 | 113 | #71 |
| 2006 | 104 | #70 |
| 2005 | 89 | #75 |
| 2004 | 81 | #80 |
| 2003 | 94 | #68 |
| 2002 | 103 | #64 |
| 2001 | 115 | #56 |
| 2000 | 118 | #58 |
| 1999 | 123 | #52 |
| 1998 | 99 | #54 |
| 1997 | 169 | #50 |
| 1996 | 197 | #43 |
| 1995 | 162 | #47 |
| 1994 | 217 | #39 |
| 1993 | 229 | #37 |
| 1992 | 297 | #26 |
| 1991 | 267 | #29 |
| 1990 | 286 | #26 |
| 1989 | 309 | #27 |
| 1988 | 335 | #23 |
| 1987 | 383 | #22 |
| 1986 | 381 | #22 |
| 1985 | 420 | #20 |
| 1984 | 420 | #19 |
| 1983 | 449 | #20 |
| 1982 | 493 | #16 |
| 1981 | 486 | #17 |
| 1980 | 483 | #18 |
| 1979 | 482 | #15 |
| 1978 | 484 | #15 |
| 1977 | 542 | #12 |
| 1976 | 504 | #14 |
| 1975 | 521 | #15 |
| 1974 | 547 | #14 |
| 1973 | 518 | #15 |
| 1972 | 571 | #14 |
| 1971 | 556 | #15 |
| 1970 | 563 | #14 |
| 1969 | 551 | #13 |
| 1968 | 588 | #14 |
| 1967 | 592 | #13 |
| 1966 | 628 | #12 |
| 1965 | 663 | #12 |
| 1964 | 613 | #12 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Anthony mean?
Uncertain
English form of the Roman family name Antonius, of unknown origin; the h was added later.
Say it right
ANthonee
Some people say it with a plain t, AN-to-nee, which matches the spelling Antony.
The story of Anthony
Anthony comes from Antonius, the name of a Roman family whose best-known member was Mark Antony. Where the Roman name came from is unknown, though it may be Etruscan. The “h” crept in later, from a mistaken link with the Greek word anthos, “flower”.
The name spread through two saints. Anthony the Great was an Egyptian hermit, often called the first Christian monk. Anthony of Padua, a Franciscan preacher, is the one many Irish families know best, as the saint to turn to when something is lost.
Anthony was a mainstay for Irish boys in the 1960s and 1970s. It peaked in 1965, when 663 boys were given it, and it stayed in the top 20 until the mid-1980s. It has fallen gradually since and was number 135 in 2025. Tony is counted as a separate name.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Anthony (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Anthony
- CSO VSA50, Boys Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Nicknames
Tony
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Anthony | 40 | 17,332 |
In Northern Ireland
#314 in 2025 with 5 babies. Best rank #70 (1997); 646 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.