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Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

Constance f. Latin constantia 'constancy'.

The name of a 4th C saint, a daughter of Emperor Constantine, who was also known as Constantina.

The name entered England with the Norman Conquest. For more information, see Withycombe s.n. Constance.

Czech Republic
Latin
1349 Constancia (nom) chlumecky 138
England
Latin
1377 Custancia (nom) FenPT-2 p. 6; 1381 Constancia (nom) Suffolk1381 p. 87, Custancia (nom) FenPT-2 p. 8, Suffolk1381 p. 102
Early Modern English
1553 Constans HAmar-vol9 p. 2; 1563 Constance SaxhamSf p. 1; 1566 Constance ibid. p. 2; 1569 Constance ibid. p. 2; 1578 Constance bruton-vol1 p. 43; 1585 Constance ibid. p. 46; 1590 Constans COmar-vol2 p. 72; 1591 Constantia BUmar-vol2 p. 65; 1592 Constance BUmar-vol1 p. 27
France
Latin
989 Constancie (gen) CartSavII 105; 1047x1061 Constancia (nom) CartNDSaintes XV, Constantia (nom) ibid. XX; 1049x1061 Constantia (abl) StVdM-II 661; 1113 Constancie (gen) CartNDJosaphat III; 1138x62 Constantia (abl) clairvaux-12thc 91; 1179 Constantia (nom) ibid. 176; 1301 Constanche (nom) MemPic-vol17 p. 251
Old French
1296 Coutance paris1296 p. 20; 1313 Constance Paris1313 p. 51
Germany
Latin
1197 Constantia (abl) hennes-vol1 2
Italy
Latin
1220 Constantia (abl) hennes-vol1 46; 1348 Constantie (dat) INP 26; 1527 Constantia (nom) Rome1527 p. 90
Portugal
Latin
1209 Constanciæ (gen) PHGCRP-I no. 10; 1256 Constantiæ (dat) ibid. no. 17; 1269 Constantia (nom) ibid. no. 11, Constantiæ (gen) ibid. no. 11
Spain
Latin
1488 Constancia (nom) carbonell p. 23, Constantia (nom) ibid. p. 16; 1489 Constancia (nom) ibid. p. 30; 1490 Constancia (nom) ibid. p. 40, Constanciae (gen) ibid. p. 46; 1491 Constancia (nom) ibid. p. 57
Catalan
1510 Constança valencia1510 4274, Costança ibid. 4770, Gostança ibid. 3287
Cite as: J. Uckelman, S.L. Uckelman. "Constance". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2015, no. 3. http://dmnes.org/2015/3/name/Constance.