Antony
Antony Name Meaning, Origin & Popularity
/ˈæn.tə.ni/
Meaning of Antony: Antony was formerly the standard English spelling of the name derived from the Latin family name Antonius. The variant spelling Anthony—with a silent h—began appearing in the 17th century, influenced by a false etymology connecting the name to Greek anthos (flower).
The added h has no phonetic value in English pronunciation and reflects the 17th-century scholarly habit of Hellenizing Latin names. Both Antony and Anthony have been used in English ever since, though Anthony became the dominant American spelling while Antony remained more common in British use.
William Shakespeare used the Antony spelling for the title character of Antony and Cleopatra (c. 1607), his tragedy depicting the relationship between the Roman general Mark Antony and the Egyptian queen Cleopatra VII.
What Does Antony Mean? Origin & Etymology
The play contains some of Shakespeare’s most celebrated verse, and the name Antony carries the literary weight of this specifically Shakespearean usage—distinguishing it from the American Anthony and giving it a British literary dimension.
Antony peaked in US SSA records in 1960 and is used primarily in British English-speaking contexts, where it remains the preferred spelling in England and Wales.
Notable bearers include Antony Blinken (born 1962), the US Secretary of State, and Sir Antony Sher (1949–2021), the British actor. For American parents who prefer the older spelling or have British family connections, Antony offers the same Roman heritage as Anthony in its historically prior English form.
Further reading: etymology records and US popularity records from SSA.
Numerology & Symbolism of Antony
Based on Pythagorean numerology — a traditional system linking name letters to numbers. Presented for cultural interest.
Antony – Similar Names & Alternatives
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Frequently Asked Questions about Antony
What does Antony mean?
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Is Antony a boy or girl name?
Antony is exclusively a masculine name. The feminine equivalent is Antonia.