Anthony or Antony is a male given name , (eleventh most popular male first name in the United States as of 2004), derived from Antonius , a Roman family name . That name seems to have come originally from the Etruscan language , although no further information is known about this derivation. The Greek word ανθος ( anthos ), meaning "flower" is considered by some sources to be the meaning of the name; others claim it is from the ancient Greek name Anthonios, king of Achaia. reference.info