Find out how popular the last name Anton is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Anton.

Anton, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Anton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Anton in America

Anton is the 5129th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Anton surname appeared 6,823 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Anton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Anton to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Anton

The surname Anton originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Latin name Antonius, which itself comes from the Roman family name Antonius. The name Antonius was likely derived from a Greek word meaning "priceless" or "invaluable."

In its earliest recorded use, the name Anton appeared in various medieval German records and manuscripts from the 13th century onwards. It was often spelled in different ways, such as Antone, Antoon, or Anthon, reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name Anton was Johannes Anton, a German scholar and theologian who lived in the 15th century (c. 1420-1490). Another notable figure was Hans Anton, a German painter and engraver active in the late 16th century (c. 1550-1615).

The name Anton was also found in several place names across Germany, such as Antonshöhe (Anton's Height) and Antonstal (Anton's Valley), suggesting that the name had become associated with certain localities or landowners.

In the 17th century, the name gained prominence with the birth of Anton van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723), a Dutch scientist and pioneer of microscopy. His groundbreaking work in the field of microbiology earned him recognition as one of the most influential figures in the Scientific Revolution.

Another notable bearer of the name was Anton Raphael Mengs (1728-1779), a German painter and art theorist who significantly influenced the Neoclassical movement in European art.

In the 19th century, Anton Bruckner (1824-1896), an Austrian composer and organist, became one of the most celebrated figures associated with the surname Anton. His contributions to the development of the symphonic form and his unique blend of traditional and innovative styles have secured his place as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Anton

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Anton.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Anton was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Anton has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

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

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

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