Tony first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Tony has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Tony

A masculine diminutive of the Latin name Antonius meaning "priceless one".

Popularity of Tony by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Tony is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 99% of people named Tony being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 286 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Tony.

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 286 0
2022 377 0
2021 390 0
2020 424 0
2019 467 5
2018 470 5
2017 520 0
2016 566 0
2015 578 0
2014 666 0
2013 664 0
2012 653 0
2011 691 0
2010 750 5
2009 805 0
2008 886 5
2007 1,002 10
2006 985 6
2005 1,030 7
2004 958 8
2003 1,000 12
2002 1,071 0
2001 1,025 10
2000 1,086 7
1999 1,133 5
1998 1,177 10
1997 1,248 10
1996 1,315 12
1995 1,555 11
1994 1,627 20
1993 1,872 24
1992 1,927 18
1991 2,100 22
1990 2,182 25
1989 2,302 21
1988 2,243 21
1987 2,291 42
1986 2,358 31
1985 2,526 31
1984 2,440 36
1983 2,350 47
1982 2,608 34
1981 2,650 34
1980 2,727 38
1979 2,646 44
1978 2,775 61
1977 2,940 50
1976 3,065 66
1975 3,323 54
1974 3,217 64

The history of the first name Tony

The name Tony is a diminutive form of the Roman family name Antonius, which is derived from the Ancient Roman name Antonius. The name Antonius is believed to have originated from the Antonii, a respectable family in ancient Rome that can be traced back to the 3rd century BC. The root of the name is likely from the Greek word "anthos," meaning flower or blossom.

The name Antonius is mentioned in several ancient texts and historical records from the Roman era. One of the most notable historical figures with this name was Marcus Antonius, a Roman politician and general who was a key figure in the Roman Republic's transition to the Roman Empire. He lived from 83 BC to 30 BC and was a member of the Second Triumvirate, along with Octavian and Lepidus.

Another famous Antonius was the Roman emperor Antoninus Pius, who ruled from 138 AD to 161 AD. He was known for his peaceful reign and for promoting the prosperity of the Roman Empire. During his time, the name Antonius became more widespread and popular among the Roman population.

As the name Antonius spread throughout Europe during the Middle Ages, it evolved into various forms and diminutives, including Tony. One of the earliest recorded examples of the diminutive Tony was in the 13th century, referring to a man named Tony de Saulnay in France.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the first name Tony. One of the most famous was Tony Blair, the British Prime Minister who served from 1997 to 2007. Other notable individuals include Tony Hawk, the professional skateboarder, born in 1968; Tony Robbins, the motivational speaker and self-help author, born in 1960; Tony Bennett, the American singer and painter, born in 1926; and Tony Soprano, the fictional character from the HBO series "The Sopranos," which aired from 1999 to 2007.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Tony was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Tony, please contact us.

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"Tony first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 31, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/tony-meaning-and-history/.

"Tony first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/tony-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 31 October, 2024

Tony first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/tony-meaning-and-history/.

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