2000
#5,072
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,345
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.35
Rare Last name
Anton
A surname derived from the given name Antonius, which originated from the Roman family name Antonius, meaning "priceless one."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,511 Americans carry the last name Anton. That puts it at #5,161 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 45,634 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Anton surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Anton with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.5K
1 in 45,634
Census rank
#5,161
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,550 bearers of the surname Anton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5161st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Anton, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (16.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Anton
Among Census respondents with the surname Anton, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (16.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Anton bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Anton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.5% · 5,011
- Hispanic or Latino16.1% · 1,057
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.6% · 233
- Two or more races2.1% · 136
- Black or African American1.0% · 68
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 45
Timeline
Historical Census data for Anton
Anton appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#5,129
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,823
+478 bearers (+7.5%)
Per 100,000 2.31
Rank movement Down 57 places
2020
#5,161
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,550
-273 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 2.19
Rank movement Down 32 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,072 | 6,345 | 2.35 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,129 | 6,823 | 2.31 | +478 bearers (+7.5%) | Down 57 places |
| 2020 | #5,161 | 6,550 | 2.19 | -273 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 32 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Anton surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,129 | #5,161 | -0.6% |
| Count | 6,823 | 6,550 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 2.31 | 2.19 | -5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Anton bearers went from 6,823 to 6,550 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 32 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,129 to #5,161.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Anton
FAQ
Anton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Anton?
Name Census estimates that about 7,511 living Americans carry the surname Anton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 45,634 residents.
How common is Anton?
Anton ranks #5,161 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.19 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,550 people with the surname Anton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,511), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.19 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.19 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Anton.
Has Anton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Anton went from 6,823 recorded bearers to 6,550. That is a decrease of 273 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,129 to #5,161.
What does the Census say about the background of Anton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Anton, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (16.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Anton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.5% (5,011 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Anton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.5%), Hispanic (16.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Anton (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Anton mean?
A surname derived from the given name Antonius, which originated from the Roman family name Antonius, meaning "priceless one." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Anton (2.19 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Anton?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.