Constantino
A surname from the Roman name Constantinus, meaning “steadfast” or “constant.”
The #6,278 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 56,734 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Constantino is ultimately based on the Latin personal name Constantinus, a form built from constans, meaning “steadfast,” “firm,” or “constant.” As a surname, it usually began as a family name taken from an ancestor’s given name rather than from a place or occupation. The same root lies behind the English word constant and the Roman emperor Constantine.
History
The name spread widely through the Christian and Roman world because of the fame of Constantine the Great and later saints and rulers named Constantine or Constantinus. In southern Europe it became established as a personal name and then as a hereditary surname, especially in Italian- and Spanish-speaking areas. Modern bearers often reflect this southern European naming tradition, though the surname also appears in migrant communities elsewhere.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same Latin root behind Constantino also produced the imperial name Constantine, one of the most influential names in late antiquity and Christian history.
From the historical record
“Romans called the city JEboracum; it is memorable for the death of two emperors, Severus and Constantius Chlorus, and for the nativity of Constantino the Great. TOUNGHUSBAJSTD. A surname borrowed from the social relations. TOUNGLOVE. Given on account of his age, and tender af-”
— An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names