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Anthony Family History

Anthony Surname Meaning

English and West Indian (mainly Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago, also Dutch Caribbean): from the personal name Anthony, Latin Antonius, which with its variants and cognates is one of the commonest personal names in Europe. Spellings with -h- which first appear in English in the 16th century and in French (as Anthoine) at about the same time are due to the erroneous belief that the name derives from Greek anthos ‘flower’. The popularity of the personal name in Christendom is largely due to the cult of the Egyptian hermit Saint Anthony (AD 251–356), who in his old age gathered a community of hermits around him and for that reason is regarded by some as the founder of monasticism.

It was further increased by the fame of Saint Anthony of Padua (1195–1231), who long enjoyed a great popular cult and who is believed to help people find lost things. In North America, the English form of the surname has absorbed cognates and derivatives (patronymics) from other languages; for example, Greek patronymic Antoniades, Italian Antoni, Polish Antoniewicz, Croatian and Serbian Antonović (see Antonovich) and Antunović; see also below.

The name Anthony is also found among Christians in southern India, but since South Indians traditionally do not have hereditary surnames, the southern Indian name was in most cases registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US. Compare Antony.

German, Flemish, and French (mainly Alsace): Latinized (humanistic) patronymic from local equivalents of the Latin personal name Antonius, from its genitive form Antoni(i). In North America, this surname is also an altered form of the German, Dutch, French, and Slovak cognates Antoni and Antony.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Anthony family from?

You can see how Anthony families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Anthony family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Anthony families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 137 Anthony families living in New York. This was about 21% of all the recorded Anthony's in USA. New York had the highest population of Anthony families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Anthony surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Anthony ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Anthony. 18% of Anthony men worked as a Laborer and 9% of Anthony women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Anthony were Truck Driver and Housewife.

View Census Data for Anthony | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    18%
  • Farmer
    15%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Truck Driver
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    9%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
  • Teacher
    6%
  • Housewife
    5%

What Anthony family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 255,000 census records available for the last name Anthony. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Anthony census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

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Passenger Lists

There are 25,000 immigration records available for the last name Anthony. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 51,000 military records available for the last name Anthony. For the veterans among your Anthony ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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