Anton

Anton has the unflappable poise of an old European railway platform. A Scandinavian and Slavic form of Antony, descended from the Roman family name Antonius, it carries a confident short O and a clean stop on the final N. In Iceland, where patronymics still reign, Anton moves quietly as a given name with continental flair. Chekhov lent it literary gravity; Bruckner and Dvořák gave it cadence; footballers and film directors keep it current. It has never been faddish in the Anglophone world, which is the secret of its appeal. Two syllables, no fuss, considerable presence.