Antony

This name with variant spellings Anthony, Anthonies, Anthoney and Antony, derives from the Latin "Antonius", an ancient Roman clan name meaning "praiseworthy" or "priceless". Marcus Antonius circa 83 - 30 B.C., friend to Caesar and lover of Cleopatra was the most notable member of the Clan. The great popularity of the name throughout Christendon was largely due to two saints, the earlier being St. Antony of Egypt, founder of monasticism in the fourth century and the second St. Antony of Padua (1195 - 1231). The name is first recorded in England as Antonius circa 1149. The surname appears in the latter half of the 13th Century, (see below). The spelling Anthon(e)y was introduced at the Renaissance due to the mistaken impression that the name came from the Greek "anthos" meaning "flower". Catharine Anthoney was christened in St. George's in the East, Stepney, London on December 6th 1747. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Antoyne, which was dated 1275, in the "Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire", during the reign of King Edward I, know as "The Hammer of the Scots", 1272 - 1307. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.