Names That Mean Priceless

Substantial, strong, and enduring, Anthony has remained a perennially popular name over the last century. With just a hint of playfulness and just a touch of clunky-coolness, Anthony is a versatile choice that seems comfortable anywhere.

Antonio is a Shakespearean favorite -- the Bard used it in no less than five of his plays, and has long been a ubiquitous classic in Spanish-speaking countries, where the nickname Tonio is also prevalent. Antonio is also among an elite group of perennially popular names in the US, where it has always been among the boys' Top 1000 since baby name record-keeping started in 1880.

Antonia is stronger than most feminized boys’ names, reflecting the pioneer spirit of Willa Cather's classic novel My Antonia. Antonia is hovering near the bottom of the US popularity list, which may be an excellent reason for you to use it.

This feminization of Anthony, like other early French forms, such as Babette and Nanette, is not heard as often as it once was, but it could be time for a reappraisal of this delicate Gallic choice.

Antoine is a venerable French name that is still stylish in its native habitat, where it is in the Top 30. In the US, it was most popular in the 1970s and '80s, reaching Number 262 in 1985.

In the 1940s, Toni began to surpass its progenitor, Antonia, but it peaked in 1960 and has since dropped back below the US Top 1000.

Despite the popularity of Anthony and its masculine variants, female derivatives of its source – the Roman family name Antonius, of unknown meaning – have never caught on in the same way. Sister name Antonia peaked at #336 in the US way back in 1882, while Antonina itself has never ranked higher than #865 (in 1915). It has been outside of the Top 1000 ever since.

Tony, as in classy. Or To-nyyy, as yelled out a tenement window.

Variation of Anthony, and more true to the original Latin spelling. The Roman statesman Marcus Antonius is usually known as Mark Antony in English.

An ancient Roman name that has never made it into the modern world.

This is the original Roman form of Anthony, and it might just be ready for revival, now that Latin names like Maximus and Atticus have hit the big time. Antonius is also a form used in the Netherlands. The Roman general Mark Antony (as in Antony and Cleopatra) was born Marcus Antonius.

Seen across Europe as both an independent name and a short form of names such as Antoni and Anton. In the US, however, this is considered to be the feminine spelling.

Probably too close for comfort to "toilette." Antonia conveys the same idea with a more mellifluous sound.

Nickname Tõnu is now more common as an independent name.

Tõnu is derived from Tõnis, the Estonian variation of Anthony. These days, the nickname is more common than the original.