Namberry of the Day: Constance
March 22
Actress Constance Wu was born on March 22, 1982, in Richmond, Virginia. Having debated between pursuing a career in acting or in speech pathology, she settled on acting, and had her breakthrough role in 2015, in television comedy, Fresh Off the Boat.
She went on to star in Crazy Rich Asians and was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Comedy, making her only the 4th actress of Asian descent to be selected for the category.
Since then, Constance Wu has written a critically acclaimed memoir, and starred in the movie Hustlers.
Long before its showbiz namesake took to the big screen, the name Constance was brought over to England by the Normans when they invaded in 1066. It was the name of William the Conqueror’s daughter, and is a Medieval form of Constantia, meaning ‘steadfast’.
The popularity of Constance, however, has not proved steady. In the US, Canada and New Zealand, usage rapidly declined from the 50s onwards, while in France, it has moved up and down the charts, dropping in the 60s, but breaking into Top 100 for the first time in 2015.
Only in the UK has Constance remained constant, ranking around the #300 mark each year.
Similar in sound and vibe to vintage favorites like Florence and Beatrice; clunky-cute like Gwendolyn and Doris; virtuous like Grace and Felicity; and strong like Bridget and Matilda, Constance has a lot going for it. With sweet nicknames like Connie, Tansy, and Cece, and a pleasing meaning, could Constance be one to watch out for?
In case you missed these Names of the Day:
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