Antonia

Antonia is the feminine form of the Roman family name Antonius. It was borne by women in ancient Rome, including the mother of Emperor Claudius, giving it a history well before modern use as a girl’s name. The family name’s deeper meaning is uncertain; “from Antium” should not be presented as a settled translation.

Willa Cather’s My Ántonia provides a major literary association, while historian Antonia Fraser is a real-world bearer. Antonio and Antony belong to the same wider family. Antonia offers an established feminine form with its own historical and literary identity, rather than a recently invented version of a boy’s name.