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. The English diminutive Custe and the vernacular Custaunce are witnessed in 1379 in the relational bynames Custedoghter (WRYPT1 p. 9) and Custaunce (WRYPT1 p. 10).

Czech Republic
Latin
1349 Constancia (nom) chlumecky 138
England
Latin
1340xc1450 Constancia (nom) CovGuild-1 p. 26, Custancia (nom) ibid. p. 30; 1377 Custancia (nom) FenPT-2 p. 6; 1379 Custancia (nom) WRYPT1 p. 3; 1381 Constancia (nom) Suffolk1381 p. 87, Custancia (nom) FenPT-2 p. 8, Suffolk1381 p. 102; 1419 Custancie (dat) Bar-in-El p. 1; 1562/3 Constantia (nom) Reg-KirkElla p. 2; 1564 Constantia (nom) ibid. p. 4
Early Modern English
1553 Constans HAmar-vol9 p. 2; 1563 Constance SaxhamSf p. 1; 1564 Constance BarnstapleBap p. 13, StMaryA p. 4; 1566 Constance SaxhamSf p. 2; 1569 Constance ibid. p. 2; 1574 Constance COmar-vol5 p. 5; 1578 Constance bruton1 p. 43; 1583 Constance RegBath p. 5; 1585/6 Constance bruton1 p. 116; 1585 Constance ibid. p. 46; 1586 Constance COmar-vol5 p. 8; 1589 Custance RegPat p. 3; 1590 Constans COmar-vol2 p. 72; 1591 Constance bruton1 p. 120, Constantia BUmar-vol2 p. 65; 1592 Constance BUmar-vol1 p. 27; 1598 Constance COmar-vol5 p. 11; 1599 Custance RegPat p. 114
Walloon
1591/2 Constance RWC p. 20
France
Latin
c823 Constancia (nom) irminon-vol2 54, Ved; 989 Constancie (gen) CartSavII 105; 1047x1061 Constancia (nom) CartNDSaintes XV, Constantia (nom) ibid. XX; 1049x1061 Constantia (abl) StVdM-II 661; 1138x62 Constantia (abl) clairvaux-12thc 91; 1179 Constantia (nom) ibid. 176; 1292 custancia (abl) HistHdVParis p. 117; 1301 Constanche (nom) MemPic-vol17 p. 251
Old French
1292 Constance (obl) HistHdVParis p. 113; 1293 Constance (obl) ibid. p. 118; 1296 Coutance paris1296 p. 20; 1313 Constance Paris1313 p. 51
Middle French
1563 Constance RegPCC-1 p. 38; 1565 Constance ibid. p. 176; 1567 Constance ibid. p. 338
Germany
Latin
1197 Constantia (abl) hennes-vol1 2
Italy
Latin
1113 Constancie (gen) CartNDJosaphat III; 1220 Constantia (abl) hennes-vol1 46; 1348 Constantie (dat) INP 26; 1521 Constantia (nom) VitAs2 V; 1527 Constantia (nom) Rome1527 p. 90
Italian
1513x1521 Costanza LeoX p. 12
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-I 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
Spanish
1575 Constanza Catalogo-5.2 3816; 1576 Constanza ibid. 3901
Cite as: A. Brown, J. Uckelman, S.L. Uckelman. "Constance". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2023, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2023/1/name/Constance.