Celeste
Celeste was the 188th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,662 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 312 places. More babies were named Celeste in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning heavenly · Latin, French
Say it suh-LEST /səˈlɛst/
- Rank in 2025
- #188 girls, up 164 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,662girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20251,662 babies
- Total since 1880
- 65,678babies recorded
What does the name Celeste mean?
Celeste comes from Latin caelestis, 'heavenly, celestial', from caelum, 'sky, heaven'; DMNES, Wiktionary and Wikipedia agree. DMNES glosses the Latin word 'heavenly; celestial, divine' and records the name as the feminine of Celestus in English Latin documents. Wiktionary notes that English took it from French Céleste. It is used in French, Spanish, Italian and English, and Celestine and Celestina are related forms.
caelestis (Latin, “heavenly”)caelum (Latin, “sky, heaven”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Céleste, Celestine, Celestina, Celia.
See also: Latin names, names that mean sky, star, moon or sun.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Celeste', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Wiktionary, entry 'Celeste', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Celeste (name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Celeste
The usual nicknames for Celeste are Cece.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cece · also for Cecilia | Modern | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Celestes go by each one.
Celeste popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 57 since 1916.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #188 | 1,662 |
| 2020 | #352 | 876 |
| 2010 | #457 | 674 |
| 2000 | #275 | 1,167 |
| 1990 | #398 | 653 |
| 1980 | #392 | 583 |
| 1970 | #394 | 596 |
| 1960 | #346 | 762 |
| 1950 | #338 | 532 |
| 1940 | #588 | 140 |
| 1930 | #699 | 97 |
| 1920 | #583 | 150 |
| 1910 | #474 | 72 |
| 1900 | #483 | 49 |
| 1890 | #582 | 20 |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Celeste, counting every spelling?
Celeste is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #205 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #188 for Celeste on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,700 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Celeste | 1,662 | #188 | 6,446 |
| Seleste | 24 | #5,373 | 100 |
| Celest | 8 | #11,141 | 52 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Celeste?
1,662 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Celeste (0.46 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Celeste born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 5 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Celeste.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Celeste?
About 57,400 people born in the US named Celeste are alive today, with a median age of 30; half are between 17 and 54. That makes Celeste mostly worn by children and young adults. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Celeste by state
How common Celeste was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in District of Columbia (2.5×), New Mexico (2.2×), Nevada (2.1×), California (2.1×), Texas (1.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in West Virginia, New Hampshire, North Dakota.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Celeste: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Celeste, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Celeste · Sibling names for Celeste
Questions about the name Celeste
What does Celeste mean?
Celeste means “heavenly” (Latin, French origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Celeste?
Celeste was the 188th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,662 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 312 places. More babies were named Celeste in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Celeste a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Celeste in the US.
Where is Celeste most popular?
In 2021–2025, Celeste was most common in District of Columbia (2.02 per 1,000 girls), followed by New Mexico and Nevada.