in the Roman Empire, AD 313. It was introduced into England at the time of the Norman Conquest. The form Constancy was used by the Puritans in the 17th century while Constantia became popular in the 18th century. Constantina is another form of the name. Constance has been out of fashion since the early 20th century, but there has recently been an increase in its use. Its abbreviation is Connie. Constantine, the masculine form, comes from the Latin for ‘firm, constant’. Three Scottish kings were named Constantine after a Cornish saint who was believed to have converted their ancestors to Christianity in the 6th century. It became popular in England from the 12th to the 17th centuries, and was the origin of the surnames Constantine, Considine, Costain and Costin. It is not widely used in Britain today. The composer Constant Lambert (1905–51) shows an English form of the name.
Cora see Corinna
Coral f.
This name reflects the beauty and value of the substance, and was popular earlier this century. A French form which is also in use in Britain is Coralie.
Corbin m.
Corbin comes from a surname based on the Old French word for ‘raven’. Its spread owes much to the success of the actor Corbin Bernsen.
Cordelia f.
This name first appeared as Cordeilla in the 16th-century chronicles of Holinshed, from which Shakespeare altered the name to Cordelia for his play King Lear. The name is probably a form of Cordula, the name of one of the virgins martyred with St Ursula. It probably comes from the Latin word for ‘heart’.
Corey f. and m.
This is an Irish surname of unknown meaning which has come to be used as a first name. It has been popular in the USA for some years. It is also spelt Cory, and in forms such as Cori or Corrie has been used for girls, especially in combination with other names. Spellings beginning with ‘K’ particularly Kori for girls, are also found.
Corinna f.
This name and Cora both come from the Greek word kore meaning ‘girl’ or ‘maiden’, a name given to the goddess Persephone who was associated with the coming of spring. The appearance of the name in Ovid’s love poetry probably inspired its use among some 17th-century poets, particularly Herrick. The French form Corinne is also used. Corin, much used in poetry as the name for a love-sick shepherd, is the male form of the name, although it is occasionally also used for girls.
Cormac m.
This Irish name is of doubtful meaning, although it is sometimes said to mean ‘a charioteer’. It appears frequently in Irish legend, but through its prevalence in early Irish history and the Irish Church the name was accepted as having a Christian character in Ireland and so remained in steady use. A variant is Cormick.
Cornelius m., Cornelia f.
From the Latin cornu meaning ‘a horn’, these were the male and female forms of the name of a famous Roman clan. The male form was used in Ireland as a substitute for the native Conchobar (see CONOR). Its abbreviated forms are Corney, Corny and Cornie.
Corrie, Cory see Corey
Cosmo m.
From the Greek kosmos, meaning ‘order’. It is the name of one of the two patron saints of Milan and was used by the famous Italian family of Medici in the form Cosimo from the 14th century onwards. It was the name of the 3rd Duke of Gordon who was a friend of Cosimo III, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and the name was introduced into several other Scottish families. Cosima is the feminine form, recently chosen by Nigella Lawson.
Courtney f. and m.
An aristocratic surname used as a first name. It comes from Courtnay, a French place name, although the name is often interpreted as coming from court nez, the French for ‘short nose’. It is currently more used for girls than for boys.
Craig m.
The place and surname meaning ‘crag’, used as a first name.
Cressida f.
Cressida comes from a misreading of the name Briseida, ‘daughter of Brisis’, who appears in Homer’s account of the Trojan War. In the 14th century, the Italian writer Boccaccio used the name, and it was adapted by Chaucer in his verse-novel Troilus and Criseyde, the story of Troilus’s undying love for the fair Cressida, set against the background of the Trojan War. Shakespeare changed the name to Cressida for his version of the story. Despite the fictional character’s faithlessness in love, the name has recently become quite popular. An abbreviated form is Cressy.
Crispin, Crispian m.
From the Latin crispus, meaning ‘curled’. The 3rd-century martyrs Crispinus and Crispinianus were the patron saints of shoemakers. Crispin was popular in Britain in the Middle Ages and has recently enjoyed a revival.
Cruz m.& f.
This name, the Spanish word for ‘cross’, got a lot of publicity when it was chosen by the Beckhams for their third son. Although there were reports in the press that it was a girl’s name, it has always been used for both sexes, and is increasingly popular as a boy’s name in the USA.
Crystal f.
While this looks like, and is no doubt mainly used as, another jewel name (see also AMBER, JADE), the spread of this name may have been helped by Christel, the German form of CHRISTINE. Crystal is also spelt Chrystal and the form Krystal has become known through the TV series Dynasty. As a man’s name it is a pet form of CHRISTOPHER.
Crystin see Christine
Cudbert, Cuddy see Cuthbert
Curt see Conrad
Curtis m.
A surname from the French meaning ‘courteous’, used as a first name. It has been used more frequently in the United States than in Britain.
Cuthbert m.
From the Old English words cuth and beorht, meaning ‘famous’ and ‘bright’. It was in common use both before and after the Norman Conquest, and was the name of a 7th-century saint who was Bishop of Lindisfarne in Northumbria. It sometimes appeared as Cudbert, and had the pet form Cuddy. The name fell out of use just after the Reformation until the 19th century, when it was brought back by the Oxford Movement. It was a slang term for someone who avoided military service during the First World War, and it may be partly due to this usage that the name is not popular today. The school ‘swot’ in the Beano’s Bash Street Kids is called Cuthbert Cringeworthy.
Cy see Cyril, Cyrus
Cybill see Sybil
Cynan m.
This is a Welsh name based on the word cyn, meaning ‘chief’ or ‘outstanding’. It can also be found spelt Cynin or Cynon. There are a number of other Welsh names formed from this word, including Cynyr, which means ‘chief hero’.
Cynthia f.
One of the titles of the Greek goddess Artemis (see DIANA), Cynthia means ‘of Mount Cynthus’, reputedly one of her favourite places. It first became known as a name through its use by the Latin poet Propertius, and it was later popular among Elizabethan poets. Mrs Gaskell’s character in her novel Wives and Daughters brought
