The thing about...Anthony

I have never met an Anthony who was after the 1970s, maybe that has something to do with living in Britain? Or maybe just where I live. Anthony, does not in fact even rank in the top 100 in England, so why it so popular over the pond?


Derived from the Roman name Antonius, Anthony or even Antony has a long history - and has been used in many languages since then. 

• Antoine - French
• Anton - German and Russian
• Antonio - Italian 

It's meaning is just as pleasant - priceless. Though hardly a macho meaning by any stretch. 


There are a fair few well known Anthony's (though many go by shortenings):


Ant McPartlin - half of the UK presenting duo Ant and Dec
Tony Blair - the ex prime minister
Antonio Banderas - the actor
Anthony Horowitz - the author
Tony Hawk - the skateboarder


And on surname terms - the historical Mark Antony

How Anthony fit's into a 2010/11 naming society I just am not sure, to me it still has a typical 1970s feel. It is too long to compete with likes of Chase or Logan, and the nicknames, Ant or Tony again do nothing for me, but evidently they have some appeal in the US. Maybe someone could tell me why? Or maybe it is a default name? Like John or David.