2000
#8,119
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,762
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.39
Rare Last name
Constant
A surname derived from the Latin word "constans," meaning steadfast, resolute, or faithful.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,629 Americans carry the last name Constant. That puts it at #7,883 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.35 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 74,045 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Constant surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Constant with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.6K
1 in 74,045
Census rank
#7,883
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,037 bearers of the surname Constant in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.35 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7883rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Constant, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.6%. The next largest groups are Black (32.2%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Constant
The surname CONSTANT has its origins in France, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Latin word "constans," meaning "constant" or "steadfast." The name was likely given to individuals who exhibited these qualities or had a reputation for being reliable and unwavering.
During the Middle Ages, the CONSTANT surname appeared in various French records and chronicles, particularly in the regions of Normandy and Picardy. One notable early reference is found in the "Cartulaire de l'abbaye de Saint-Wandrille," a medieval manuscript from the 13th century, which mentions a person named "Robertus Constans."
The earliest recorded bearer of the CONSTANT surname is believed to be Geoffroy Constant, who lived in the village of Bellencombre, Normandy, in the late 12th century. Another early example is Jean Constant, a prominent merchant from Rouen, Normandy, who was mentioned in local records around 1240.
As the surname spread across France, it evolved into different spellings, such as Constans, Constante, and Constante. Some of these variants were influenced by regional dialects and scribal errors in historical documents.
One notable figure with the CONSTANT surname was Jacques Constant (1550-1629), a French jurist and legal scholar who served as the President of the Parliament of Normandy. Another prominent individual was Benjamin Constant (1767-1830), a Swiss-born French novelist, philosopher, and political activist who played a significant role in the liberal movement during the French Revolution.
In England, the CONSTANT surname can be traced back to the 16th century, likely introduced by French Huguenot refugees fleeing religious persecution. One of the earliest recorded instances is John Constant, who was born in London around 1590.
Other notable bearers of the CONSTANT surname include:
1. Louis Constant Wairy (1778-1845), a French painter known for his portraits and historical scenes.
2. Alphonse Constant (1810-1875), a French artist and engraver who specialized in portrait miniatures.
3. Émile Constant (1857-1936), a French composer and conductor who taught at the Paris Conservatory.
4. Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863), better known as Eugène Delacroix, a renowned French Romantic artist known for his exceptional use of color and dramatic compositions.
While the CONSTANT surname has French origins, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by immigrants and families over the centuries. However, this report focuses solely on the historical background and notable bearers of this surname from its inception until the 19th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Constant
Among Census respondents with the surname Constant, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.6%. The next largest groups are Black (32.2%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Constant bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Constant surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White59.6% · 2,407
- Black or African American32.2% · 1,298
- Two or more races4.1% · 165
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 130
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Constant
Constant appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#7,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,173
+411 bearers (+10.9%)
Per 100,000 1.41
Rank movement Up 190 places
2020
#7,883
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,037
-136 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 1.35
Rank movement Up 46 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,119 | 3,762 | 1.39 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,929 | 4,173 | 1.41 | +411 bearers (+10.9%) | Up 190 places |
| 2020 | #7,883 | 4,037 | 1.35 | -136 bearers (-3.3%) | Up 46 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Constant surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,929 | #7,883 | 0.6% |
| Count | 4,173 | 4,037 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.41 | 1.35 | -4.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Constant bearers went from 4,173 to 4,037 (-3.3% change). The surname moved up 46 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,929 to #7,883.
FAQ
Constant surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Constant?
Name Census estimates that about 4,629 living Americans carry the surname Constant. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 74,045 residents.
How common is Constant?
Constant ranks #7,883 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.35 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,037 people with the surname Constant. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,629), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.35 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.35 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Constant.
Has Constant become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Constant went from 4,173 recorded bearers to 4,037. That is a decrease of 136 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,929 to #7,883.
What does the Census say about the background of Constant?
Among Census respondents with the surname Constant, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.6%. The next largest groups are Black (32.2%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Constant in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.6% (2,407 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Constant appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (59.6%), Black (32.2%), Two or More Races (4.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Constant (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Constant mean?
A surname derived from the Latin word "constans," meaning steadfast, resolute, or faithful. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Constant (1.35 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Constant?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.