Costică is a Romanian diminutive of the name Constantin. The root of these names is Constans, a Late Latin name meaning “constant, steadfast.” Constantine the Great, the first Roman emperor to embrace Christianity, bore the derivative Constantine 1, from which Constantin itself ultimately derives. The suffix -ică is a common Romanian diminutive ending; the base Costea is a familiar form of Constantin.
Costică is used primarily as a given name for boys, especially among older generations, though it also occurs as a surname in its definite form. The name conveys affection and informality—the diminutive suffix softens the formal Constantin while preserving its historical gravitas canonized by the Christian Roman emperor.
Despite its long pedigree being analogous to the spread of Constantine across Europe, usage of Costică peaked after Romanian unification in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In modern times the shorter Costel, or variants such as Costin, are more frequent for newborns, pushing Costică toward senior bearers. Because Romanian preserves a pattern of nicknames lasting for adulthood—like Gheorghe → titular George or Gigi—adult men registered as Constantin are often called Costică by family, making the name more widespread informally than official birth records suggest.
Related names in Romanian include: Costel, Costin, Costinel, and Dinu (most are also diminutives ending in -el or -in). Outside Romania, large expat communities in Moldova, Hungary, Italy, and the United States maintain the name in preserves of traditional onomastics reminiscent of the Constantin + diminutive pattern. The feminine forms corresponding to Constantine’s female retainers—Constantina and the diminutive verb Constanța—exist but lack a direct analogue ending in -ică. Globally parallel forms are: in Albanian — Kostandin; Belarusian — Kanstantsin; and Serbian Konstantin / Kosta. Other close variants: Bulgarian Kostadin and Dutch Constantijn — all descendant from the eponymous “constant/steadfast.” Notably Southeastern European Slavicized shortened forms (Kosta, Kostadin) pattern like Costică as vocatives not as common in Romance.
- Meaning: “little Constantin” / “constant, steadfast”
- Origin: Romanian diminutive from Costea +-ică
- Usage region: Romania and Romanian diaspora
- Pronunciation: kos-TEE-kuh
- Gender: masculine
Feminine Forms
Other Languages & Cultures
Sources: Wiktionary — Costică