How to say it
an · TO · ni · o
/ænˈtoʊ.ni.oʊ/
Masculine
Antonio
From the Roman Antonii family
What it means
Italian and Spanish form of the Roman family name Antonius (the English Anthony). Same uncertain ancient root; the Italian and Spanish spelling kept the original O.
Antonio is the Italian and Spanish form of the Roman family name Antonius (which English smoothed to Anthony). The Antonii were one of the great Roman families; Mark Antony was the most famous. Saint Anthony of Padua, the 13th-century Portuguese-Italian Franciscan, made the name a Catholic favorite — particularly in Italy and Spain. Antonio is steady across Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese traditions; in the US it surged with Latino immigration and has been in the top 200 since 1990. Tony is the universal short across all the cousin forms.
Popularity over time
peaked at #71 in 1976, currently #176 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Nickname
Tony is universal. In Latino communities Tony often signals Antonio rather than Anthony; both share it.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Saint Anthony of Padua 13th-century Franciscan friar, patron of lost things
- Antonio Banderas Spanish actor, Desperado and the voice of Puss in Boots
- Antonio Vivaldi Italian Baroque composer of The Four Seasons
Spelling variants
- Anthony
- Antoine
- Anton
Names with the same feeling
See Antonio from another angle
By style