Recorded in over fifty spellings and found throughout Europe including such forms as Constantine, Considine, and Costain (English), Constatin, Costatin, Constanty, Costanti, Tantet, Tanti, Tantin, Tanty, (French), Constantino (Italian), Constantin and Constandin (Romanian), Konstancin (Polish), and patronymics such as Konstantiov (Russian) Konstantynowicz (Polish) Constantinou and Constantinides (Greek), Konjevic and Konjovic (Croatian), this interesting surname is arguably of Roman origins. It derives from the given name "Constantinus" meaning steadfast and faithful, itself from the word "constans" recorded as far back as 1000 b.c. In early times the name was famous far and wide mainly because of Emperor Constantine, who in 373 a.d. ordered the toleration of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire, whilst the feminine form of Constantia was also used by the Imperial families of Rome. In addition the name Constantius was borne by a 2nd century martyr, the bishop of Perugia, whilst Constantis was the name of a 7th century Irish martyr. The earliest known recording as any sort of surname anywhere in theworld is probably that of Willelmus filius Constantini, of the county of Berkshire, in the famous Domesday Book of England in the year 1086. The first recorded spelling of the hereditary surname is that of Willelmus Constantinus. This was dated 1150, in the cartulary of Rievaux Abbey, England.` Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.