Constant

Meaning & origin

The name Constant, rooted in the Latin constans (meaning 'standing firm' or 'steadfast'), has a long history as a virtue name and a saint's name. In the United States, it was first recorded in Social Security data in 1911, and its peak year came shortly after in 1914, reflecting a brief period of modest use in the 1910s. Since then, its trajectory has been stable but extremely low, with fewer than five births per year in recent decades. Constant has no recorded occurrences in the top states, indicating its rarity across the country. This old-fashioned, resolute name offers a distinctive choice for parents seeking a name with strong moral connotations and classical roots.

Constant derives from the Latin name Constans, itself from the adjective 'constans' meaning steadfast or constant. It was borne by several early Christian saints and a Roman emperor. In medieval France, it became a given name, and was occasionally used in England after the Norman Conquest. By the early 20th century, it saw a modest peak in the United States in the 1910s, but has since become quite rare.