Find out how popular the last name Constable is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Constable.

Constable, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Constable surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Constable in America

Constable is the 10310th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Constable surname appeared 3,125 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Constable.

We can also compare 2010 data for Constable to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Constable

The surname Constable has its origins in England, where it emerged in the medieval period, deriving from the Old French word "conestable," which in turn came from the Latin "comes stabuli," meaning "commander of the stable." This title initially referred to the officer responsible for overseeing the emperor's or king's stables and horses.

During the Norman conquest of England in 1066, many Norman titles and surnames were introduced into the English language and culture. The Constable was an important position in the feudal hierarchy, and the title eventually evolved into a hereditary surname.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Constable surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. This suggests that individuals bearing this surname were already well-established in England by the late 11th century.

The surname Constable was particularly prominent in Yorkshire and Lancashire, where some of the earliest recorded examples of the name can be found. For instance, Robert Constable, who lived in the 12th century, was a landowner in Yorkshire and held the manors of Flamborough and Knarsborough.

In the 13th century, Sir Robert Constable was a notable knight and landowner in Yorkshire. He fought alongside King Edward I in the wars against the Scots and was rewarded with lands and titles for his service. His descendants went on to become influential members of the Yorkshire gentry and held important positions in local governance and military affairs.

Another famous bearer of the Constable surname was John Constable (1776-1837), the renowned English landscape painter whose works, such as "The Hay Wain" and "Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows," captured the beauty of the English countryside and helped establish the genre of naturalistic landscape painting.

William Constable (1590-1655) was an English merchant and one of the founders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in New England. He played a significant role in the early settlement and governance of the colony, serving as a member of the colonial council and as a magistrate.

Sir Thomas Constable (1812-1892) was a British diplomat and politician who served as the Governor of Singapore from 1859 to 1867. He was instrumental in establishing Singapore as a major trading hub and oversaw the construction of key infrastructure projects in the colony.

These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals who have borne the surname Constable throughout history, reflecting the name's long-standing association with positions of authority, military service, and landownership in England and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Constable

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Constable.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Constable was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Constable has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Constable was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Constable, please contact us.

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