Antawan

Meaning & origin

Antawan is a rare modern American name that first appeared in Social Security records in 1973. Its highest usage came in 1982, but it has never entered the top 1,000 names. The name belongs to a cluster of elaborations on Antoine and Anthony that were especially common in African American communities during the 1970s and 1980s. Its trajectory is described as stable, meaning it has remained consistently uncommon rather than experiencing a sharp rise or fall. With no state-level concentration and no widely known meaning, Antawan remains a distinctive, low-frequency choice.

Antawan first appears in U.S. birth records in 1973, during a period when compound and modified versions of classic names like Anthony and Antoine were gaining popularity. It likely arose as a creative spelling or elaboration of Antwan, itself an Americanized form of Antoine. The name has never been common, with its peak year in 1982, and has remained steadily rare since.