ANTHONY
ANTHONY: Antonius was a Roman clan (family) name, the meaning of which is uncertain. It probably has an Etruscan origin, in which case we may never discover the true meaning because nobody has been able to properly decipher that language yet. In the meantime, most holders of the name like to think that name means praiseworthy.
There are some variations on the name, the most common of which is Anthony, made famous by Shakespeare in two of his plays Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra (he spelt it without the ‘h’). The Anthony referred to is Marcus Antonius, Caesar’s friend and a great Roman General. Shakespeare also used the name Antonio in The Merchant of Venice.
The reason there is an ‘h’ in the spelling now is that there was a mistaken impression at one time that the name was connected with the Greek word anthos meaning flower. The spelling has survived but the pronunciation (except in America and Australia has stayed as Antony.
St Anthony of Egypt was born in 250 of wealthy parents but gave it all up to become a desert hermit. He wanted to be left alone but people kept coming to him for help because he was said to have worked miraculous cures. He died at the age of 105 and is called the Father of Monasticism.
There were also St Daniel of France and St Anthony of Padua.
(9) page 57.
Researching: Cecil Anthony b. 1937 Broken Hill
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