NameCensus.

UK surname

Anthony

Derived from a Roman family name, likely meaning "priceless" or "of inestimable worth" in Latin.

In the 1881 census there were 3,465 people recorded with the Anthony surname, ranking it #1,314 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,813, ranked #987, up from #1,314 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes and Kidwelly. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Fenland, Carmarthenshire and Bridgend.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Anthony is 6,826 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 96.6%.

1881 census count

3,465

Ranked #1,314

Modern count

6,813

2016, ranked #987

Peak year

2014

6,826 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Anthony had 3,465 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,314 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,813 in 2016, ranked #987.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,647 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Anthony surname distribution map

The map shows where the Anthony surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Anthony surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Anthony over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 2,163 #1,351
1861 historical 2,333 #1,264
1881 historical 3,465 #1,314
1891 historical 3,734 #1,282
1901 historical 4,535 #1,260
1911 historical 4,647 #1,113
1997 modern 5,966 #1,098
1998 modern 6,173 #1,097
1999 modern 6,270 #1,091
2000 modern 6,293 #1,080
2001 modern 6,122 #1,088
2002 modern 6,278 #1,085
2003 modern 6,215 #1,075
2004 modern 6,285 #1,065
2005 modern 6,340 #1,037
2006 modern 6,388 #1,022
2007 modern 6,433 #1,025
2008 modern 6,453 #1,025
2009 modern 6,630 #1,022
2010 modern 6,821 #1,012
2011 modern 6,745 #1,011
2012 modern 6,664 #1,003
2013 modern 6,804 #1,006
2014 modern 6,826 #1,006
2015 modern 6,781 #1,000
2016 modern 6,813 #987

Geography

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Where Anthonys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes, Kidwelly and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Fenland, Carmarthenshire and Bridgend. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Kidwelly Carmarthenshire
4 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Fenland 006 Fenland
2 Carmarthenshire 017 Carmarthenshire
3 Carmarthenshire 027 Carmarthenshire
4 Carmarthenshire 013 Carmarthenshire
5 Bridgend 018 Bridgend

Forenames

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First names often paired with Anthony

These lists show first names that appear often with the Anthony surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Anthony

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Anthony, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Anthony surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Anthony household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Anthony is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Anthony is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Anthony falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Anthony is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Anthony, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Anthony

The surname Anthony has its origins in ancient Rome, derived from the Roman family name Antonius. This name is believed to have originated from the Latin word "Antoanus," which means "priceless" or "invaluable." The Antonius family was a prominent patrician family in ancient Rome, and several notable figures bore this name, including the famed Roman general and statesman Marcus Antonius.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Anthony can be found in medieval English and Norman records, where it appeared as "Antony" or "Auntenye." These variations likely emerged due to the influence of Norman French on the English language after the Norman Conquest in 1066. During this period, many people adopted surnames derived from their given names or those of their ancestors.

In the Domesday Book, a survey of land ownership in England completed in 1086, there are several entries referring to individuals with the surname Anthony or its variants. For example, a landholder named "Antone" is mentioned in the records for Lincolnshire.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Anthony was Roger Antony, a 13th-century landowner from Gloucestershire, England. Another notable figure from the same period was John Antony, a wealthy merchant from Bristol who served as the city's mayor in 1275.

Over the centuries, the surname Anthony has been associated with several prominent individuals across various fields. For example, Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906) was a pioneering American civil rights leader who played a pivotal role in the women's suffrage movement. Mark Antony (83-30 BC), the Roman politician and general, was a key figure in the final days of the Roman Republic.

Other famous individuals with the surname Anthony include:

1. Marc Anthony (born 1968), an American singer and actor of Puerto Rican descent. 2. Piers Anthony (born 1934), an English-American author known for his fantasy novels, particularly the Xanth series. 3. Joseph Anthony (1912-1993), an American artist and illustrator renowned for his paintings of the American West. 4. John Anthony (1586-1655), an English Puritan minister and theologian who played a significant role in the English Reformation. 5. Basil Anthony (1927-2019), an Indian-born American philosopher and academic who specialized in the philosophy of mind and epistemology.

While the surname Anthony has its roots in ancient Rome, it has since become widely dispersed across various cultures and regions, with bearers of the name contributing to diverse fields throughout history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Anthony families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Anthony surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 425 Anthonys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.25x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 425 1.25x
Glamorgan 371 6.28x
Carmarthenshire 330 23.06x
Derbyshire 205 3.86x
Nottinghamshire 184 4.02x
Yorkshire 160 0.48x
Surrey 134 0.81x
Monmouthshire 129 5.26x
Devon 111 1.57x
Lancashire 105 0.26x
West Lothian 100 19.56x
Essex 87 1.30x
Cornwall 84 2.19x
Midlothian 76 1.67x
Hampshire 72 1.03x
Hertfordshire 66 2.82x
Shropshire 60 2.05x
Lanarkshire 53 0.48x
Kent 51 0.44x
Warwickshire 51 0.60x
Dorset 50 2.24x
Norfolk 49 0.94x
Worcestershire 49 1.11x
Staffordshire 44 0.38x
Buckinghamshire 43 2.10x
Durham 37 0.37x
Gloucestershire 35 0.53x
Stirlingshire 31 2.48x
Brecknockshire 24 3.54x
Cheshire 22 0.29x
Cambridgeshire 20 0.93x
Radnorshire 20 7.30x
Northumberland 19 0.38x
Herefordshire 18 1.29x
Dunbartonshire 15 1.64x
Bedfordshire 14 0.80x
Somerset 13 0.24x
Sussex 13 0.23x
Ayrshire 12 0.47x
Montgomeryshire 11 1.41x
Channel Islands 10 0.99x
Pembrokeshire 10 0.93x
Flintshire 9 0.99x
Northamptonshire 8 0.25x
Anglesey 7 1.16x
Berkshire 7 0.27x
Lincolnshire 6 0.11x
Cardiganshire 4 0.48x
Wiltshire 4 0.13x
Cumberland 3 0.10x
Leicestershire 3 0.08x
Suffolk 3 0.07x
Fife 2 0.10x
Renfrewshire 2 0.08x
Royal Navy 2 0.49x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.07x
Denbighshire 1 0.08x
Perthshire 1 0.07x
Ross-shire 1 0.11x
Roxburghshire 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Llanelly in Carmarthenshire leads with 68 Anthonys recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.10x.

Place Total Index
Llanelly 68 21.10x
Kidwelly 58 198.56x
Islington London 55 1.67x
Ystradyfodwg 49 9.45x
Arnold 45 67.38x
Bathgate 44 39.65x
Aberdare 41 10.10x
Kensington London 38 2.01x
Portland 36 30.05x
Swansea Town 36 7.43x
Hackney London 33 1.73x
Southwark St George Martyr 33 4.83x
Hammersmith London 30 3.59x
Llandebie 29 69.88x
Wycombe 28 18.30x
Birmingham 27 0.95x
Bedwellty 25 5.77x
Pembrey 25 38.00x
Plymouth Charles The 25 8.03x
Ripley 25 38.05x
Claylane 24 32.49x
Swansea Higher 23 37.36x
Bow London 22 5.09x
Liverpool 22 0.90x
Selston 22 43.04x
St Ives 22 29.25x
St Pancras London 22 0.81x
Alfreton 21 13.01x
Basford 21 9.96x
Clase 21 9.56x
West Ham 21 1.42x
Aberystruth 20 9.25x
Cwmdu 20 27.77x
Tollesbury 20 119.19x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 19 1.04x
Llanegwad 19 99.74x
Stansfield 19 15.35x
Deptford St Paul 18 2.01x
Helston 18 45.06x
Neath 18 14.97x
Tottenham 18 3.33x
Ealing 17 5.60x
Nottingham St Mary 17 1.44x
Portsea 17 1.25x
Uphall 17 30.24x
Bromley London 16 2.14x
Llandefeilog 16 119.40x
Aston 15 0.64x
Codnor Park 15 120.29x
Holy Trinity 15 1.85x
Llangendeirne 15 56.54x
Poplar London 15 2.34x
Eastwood 14 34.22x
Llantrisant 14 9.40x
Merthyr Tydfil 14 2.46x
Alverstoke 13 5.16x
Cardiff St John 13 6.73x
Carlton 13 24.90x
Cilybebill 13 57.65x
East Stonehouse 13 9.34x
Ecclesall Bierlow 13 1.90x
Fulham London 13 2.64x
Gelligaer 13 9.63x
Hampstead London 13 2.46x
Kingston On Thames 13 3.27x
Llandingat 13 39.99x
Rotherhithe 13 3.10x
Shrewsbury St Chad 13 12.63x
St George Hanover Square 13 2.17x
Battersea 12 0.96x
Falkirk 12 4.09x
Glasgow 12 0.62x
Kirkliston 12 40.24x
Llanarthney 12 55.61x
Luton 12 3.94x
Newington 12 0.96x
St Woollos 12 4.38x
Stoke Damerel 12 2.43x
Wolverhampton 12 1.36x
Roath 11 4.10x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Anthony surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 212
Elizabeth 141
Sarah 103
Margaret 72
Ann 67
Eliza 58
Jane 51
Annie 40
Hannah 39
Alice 34
Emma 34
Emily 31
Ellen 28
Edith 26
Kate 26
Catherine 24
Maria 22
Charlotte 21
Fanny 21
Louisa 21
Martha 20
Susan 20
Anne 19
Caroline 17
Harriet 17
Ada 15
Frances 14
Florence 13
Harriett 13
Rachel 13
Agnes 12
Elizth. 12
Amelia 9
Lucy 9
Grace 8
Matilda 8
Clara 7
Esther 7
Gertrude 7
Rebecca 7
Rose 7
Anna 6
Julia 6
Laura 6
Margret 6
Maud 6
Rosa 6
Sophia 6
Amy 5
Ethel 5

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Anthony surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 219
John 181
Thomas 121
George 89
James 84
David 70
Henry 50
Edward 45
Charles 44
Robert 37
Joseph 36
Arthur 33
Richard 28
Alfred 27
Frederick 27
Samuel 24
Walter 20
Albert 15
Wm. 14
Evan 13
Frank 13
Isaac 13
Edwin 12
Harry 12
Herbert 12
Daniel 10
Mark 10
Ernest 9
Anthony 8
Benjamin 8
Morgan 8
Stephen 7
Thos. 7
Francis 6
Fredk. 6
Griffith 6
Peter 6
Paul 4
Philip 4
Saml. 4
Abraham 3
Edmund 3
Edwd. 3
Eli 3
Fred 3
Lewis 3
Llewellyn 3
Louis 3
Tom 3
Willm. 3

FAQ

Anthony surname: questions and answers

How common was the Anthony surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,465 people were recorded with the Anthony surname. That placed it at #1,314 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Anthony surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,813 in 2016. That gives Anthony a modern rank of #987.

What does the Anthony surname mean?

Derived from a Roman family name, likely meaning "priceless" or "of inestimable worth" in Latin.

What does the Anthony map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Anthony bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.