Anthony

Anthony is the English form of the Latin name Antonius, an ancient Roman family name of uncertain origin, possibly Etruscan. The name was borne by several notable Romans, most famously the general and statesman Mark Antony, and was later spread throughout Europe by the popularity of Saint Anthony the Great, an Egyptian monk, and Saint Anthony of Padua. The spelling with an h, influenced by a false connection to the Greek word anthos meaning flower, became standard in English by the seventeenth century. Related forms include Antonio in Spanish and Italian, Antoine in French, Anton in German and Slavic languages, and the Welsh Antwn.