Anthony
Boy name · #46 in 2025 · Well-known
How old is the name Anthony? In official American birth records, Anthony has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Anthony ranks #46 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 5,967 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #25, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 302 boys born in 2025 was named Anthony.
The 145-year story
Anthony first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 130 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1990, when 25,088 boys were named Anthony — good for #15 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Anthony per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Anthony against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Anthony in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Anthony is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Anthony is most common
Geography matters for names, and Anthony is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Anthony is most common in RI (10 per 1,000), DE (9.5 per 1,000), DC (8.7 per 1,000), NJ (8.2 per 1,000), CT (7.7 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 4.1 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Anthony is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Anthony
Anthony carries a whole family of nicknames and spellings — names that will feel like the same name in a classroom.
Counted as one name, the Anthony family went to about 6,292 boys in 2025 — together they'd rank around #39, versus #46 for Anthony alone.
Names like Anthony
Statistically, parents drawn to Anthony tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Andrew, Aaron, Matthew, Joshua, and Jonathan.
AndrewAaronMatthewJoshuaJonathanAlexanderAntonioDaniel
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Anthony | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5,967 | #46 |
| 2024 | 6,353 | #44 |
| 2023 | 6,277 | #46 |
| 2022 | 6,607 | #44 |
| 2021 | 6,792 | #43 |
| 2020 | 7,037 | #41 |
| 2019 | 7,725 | #38 |
| 2018 | 8,048 | #38 |
| 2017 | 8,877 | #33 |
| 2016 | 9,900 | #30 |
| 2015 | 10,664 | #25 |
| 2014 | 11,613 | #21 |
| 2013 | 12,295 | #19 |
| 2012 | 13,228 | #15 |
| 2011 | 14,290 | #11 |
| 2010 | 15,511 | #10 |
| 2009 | 16,327 | #11 |
| 2008 | 18,417 | #7 |
| 2007 | 19,639 | #7 |
| 2006 | 19,413 | #9 |
| 2005 | 19,387 | #8 |
| 2004 | 19,613 | #11 |
| 2003 | 20,149 | #10 |
| 2002 | 19,590 | #12 |
| 2001 | 19,737 | #11 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Anthony?
In official American birth records, the name Anthony first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 130 newborn boys received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Anthony a popular boy name?
Anthony ranked #46 among boys in 2025 with 5,967 babies given the name — firmly in the top 100, so yes, it’s a popular choice. Ten years earlier it ranked #25.
When was the name Anthony most popular?
Anthony peaked in 1990, when 25,088 American boys received the name (ranked #15 that year). Since 1990 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Anthony?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 302 newborn American boys was named Anthony. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "well-known".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.