NameVoyager Analysis: Anthony and (Eccch) Tony

I was surprised to learn that my name is more popular (in rank) than when I was born. When I was in school, I knew of just one other Anthony, though every class had at least two Michaels.

A sharp rate increase from the 1950s into the following two decades brought Anthony into the low 20s, its rate peaking in the 1980s at around 5,500 Anthonys per million births.

The rate started to decline (more names were being used overall, so you'll see the rates for almost all major names declining), but the rank continued to climb, in the ensuing years.

In the 1990s, Anthony ranked 19, and from 2003 on, the rank dipped a bit up a down but continued to rise, with an all-time best rank of 7 in 2007 and 2008.

Anthony is a classic name. It could still be considered "ethnic" because of its popularity for people who wish to name their kids after saints, though it's a lot more mainstream. And, hell, I like it.

Like our friend Paul, there was a brief period when people were naming their little girls Anthony, peaking at a rank of 853 in the 1970s. I didn't know any of them.

I never liked the nickname Tony, which makes me think of a guy wearing a wife-beater, who might actually BE a wife-beater, sitting on the hood of his IROC. But, especially in the 1960s, when it peaked at a rank of 51(!), parents skipped formality and actually named their kids Tony.

...which must have been annoying:

"My name is Tony."

"Is that short for 'Anthony'?"

"No...it's short for...Tony."


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