Given name & surname
Anton
“a flourishing man; from an ancient Roman family”
Anton is a form of Anthony. One Latin interpretation is “a flourishing man; from an ancient Roman family.” Its derivation is not certain. In German use, Anton is a variant of Toni. In English use, Toni carries the interpretation “priceless and highly praiseworthy; a flourishing flower.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Anton is a form of Anthony. One Latin interpretation is “a flourishing man; from an ancient Roman family.” Its derivation is not certain. In German use, Anton is a variant of Toni. In English use, Toni carries the interpretation “priceless and highly praiseworthy; a flourishing flower.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Anton is a form of Anthony. A possible origin is Latin, although the derivation remains uncertain.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In Catalan usage, Anton is a short form of Antoni. In German usage, Anton is a short form of Antonius.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Anton through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 23,936
- 23,915 boys · 21 girls
- Most popular year
- 1915
- 357 babies
- 2025
- 132
- #1,389 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −26%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 132 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,389 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 26.4% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 357 in 1915. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (17). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 19,345 as a first name in 2020; 6,550 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Anton’s family of names
In Swedish usage, Anton has a diminutive in Anne. In Estonian usage, Anton shares a linguistic root with the English form Anthony. In Serbo-Croatian usage, Anton has a conventional equivalent in the Spanish form Antonio.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Anton has relatives in 40 languages.
62 related names in 40 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 18
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 4
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 56
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- AntonioSpanish, Italian
- Tonyequivalent
- Antoniafeminine form
- AntonyEnglish
- AntoineFrench
- AntoninoItalian
- Antoniosequivalent
- Tonettefeminine form · Norwegian
Show 48 moreShow fewer
- AnthonDanish
- Antonisequivalent
- Antawnequivalent
- Donibar
- AntalHungarian
- AnteCroatian
- AntonelloItalian
- AntoninFrench
- Antoniiequivalent
- Антінequivalent
- Antonijeequivalent
- Антонійequivalent
- Toninoequivalent
- Antonsen“son of” surname · Danish
- 安東尼Chinese
- ΑντώνιοςGreek
- AntuutGreenlandic
- AntãoPortuguese
- AntônioPortuguese
- AntunCroatian
- AntonsLatvian, Norwegian
- AntonoEsperanto
- Antónsource · Galician, Spanish
- Antonínalso known as · Czech
- Antinequivalent
- Αντώνηςequivalent
- Антонийequivalent
- Entoniequivalent
- Spanishequivalent
- Tünnesksh
- АнтонијеSerbian
- АнтунSerbian
- АнтоSerbian
- АнтеSerbian
- AntónioPortuguese
- Anthonisvls
- AntoonDutch
- AntanasLithuanian
- AntoninusLatin
- AntoCroatian
- AntoníusIcelandic
- AnakoniHawaiian
- AnttuuniFinnish
- AnttooniFinnish
- AnttoniFinnish
- AnchjoEsperanto
- AnthoniusDanish
- АндонBulgarian
People named Anton
- Anton ChekhovRussian dramatist and author (1860–1904)
- Anton BrucknerAustrian composer (1824-1896)
- Anton LaVeyfounder of the Church of Satan; author of the Satanic Bible (1930-1997)
- Anton DenikinRussian military and political leader (1872–1947)
- Anton ZeilingerAustrian quantum physicist (born 1945)
- Anton WebernAustrian composer and conductor1883–1945
- Anton RubinsteinRussian pianist, composer and conductor (1829–1894)
- Anton MakarenkoUkrainian and Soviet educator and writer1888–1939
- Anton YelchinAmerican actor (1989–2016)
Characters named Anton: Anton Chigurh (fictional hitman), Midnight Man (Marvel Comics).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Anton, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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