The name Antron began appearing in the U.S. baby name data in 1962:
- 1969: 11 baby boys named Antron
- 1968: 6 baby boys named Antron
- 1967: 7 baby boys named Antron
- 1966: 5 baby boys named Antron
- 1965: unlisted
- 1964: unlisted
- 1963: unlisted
- 1962: 6 baby boys named Antron [debut]
- 1961: unlisted
This one, like Qiana and Trevira, can be traced back to a rather unusual source: synthetic fiber.
In 1960, DuPont trademarked the brand name “Antron” for a new nylon fiber. In DuPont’s Annual Report from 1960, the company explained that, “because of its unusual clover cross-section, [Antron] improves the luster and coverage of many types of apparel and home furnishing fabrics.”
Later the same year, the word Antron started showing up in newspaper and magazine advertisements.
By the second half of the ’60s, the name was regularly appearing in the baby name data — not surprising, as more and more ads were mentioning Antron. An issue of the New York Times from August of 1965, for instance, included a 20-plus-page DuPont advertising supplement called “The Great American Knits” that showcased Antron along with two other DuPont-created synthetic fibers, Orlon and Dacron.
Expectant parents may have found “Antron” more enticing than options like “Orlon” and “Dacron” because it was similar to traditional boy names like Antoine and Anton.
What are your thoughts on the baby name Antron?
Sources: Antron (fabric) – Vintage Fashion Guild, Orlon! Dacron! Antron! The Great American Knits of Fall 1965
Image: Al Dixon advertisement. Thomasville Times-Enterprise 23 Oct. 1961: 6.
