Celia
Celia was the 774th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 351 babies. Its best year was 1882, when it ranked 141st; the most babies were born in 1915 (853). Over the last ten years it has moved up 78 places. More babies were named Celia in the 1910s than in any other decade.
Meaning heavenly (Latin Caelia) · Latin
Say it SEEL-yuh /ˈsiljə/
- Rank in 2025
- #774 girls, up 16 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 351girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1915853 babies
- Total since 1880
- 56,716babies recorded
What does the name Celia mean?
Celia comes from Latin Caelia, the feminine of the Roman family name Caelius, which Wiktionary says is probably from caelum, heaven or sky. Wiktionary adds that Shakespeare introduced it into English through a character in As You Like It. It is sometimes confused with Cecilia, which DMNES derives from a different Roman family name possibly linked with caecus, blind. Celia has been used in the US since 1880.
Caelia (Latin, “feminine of Caelius”)caelum (Latin, “heaven, sky”)
How sure is this? Probable. Wiktionary says 'probably' from caelum.
Related names: Cecilia, Celeste, Caelia, Celie.
See also: Latin names, names that mean sky, star, moon or sun.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Celia' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Cecilia', DMNES (Durham University)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Celia popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 74 since 1923.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #774 | 351 |
| 2020 | #790 | 345 |
| 2010 | #744 | 375 |
| 2000 | #619 | 410 |
| 1990 | #589 | 391 |
| 1980 | #656 | 277 |
| 1970 | #531 | 357 |
| 1960 | #416 | 540 |
| 1950 | #351 | 507 |
| 1940 | #327 | 381 |
| 1930 | #265 | 559 |
| 1920 | #242 | 726 |
| 1910 | #169 | 402 |
| 1900 | #173 | 316 |
| 1890 | #169 | 204 |
| 1880 | #152 | 90 |
How popular is Celia, counting every spelling?
Celia is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #778 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #774 for Celia on its own. Together these spellings went to 351 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Celia | 351 | #774 | 1,747 |
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 Celia?
351 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Celia (0.10 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Celia 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 24 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Celia.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Celia?
About 29,700 people born in the US named Celia are alive today, with a median age of 42; half are between 22 and 67. That makes Celia mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties. 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.
Celia by state
How common Celia was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Massachusetts (2.4×), Michigan (1.8×), New Jersey (1.6×), New York (1.6×), Wisconsin (1.5×). In 20 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Celia: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Celia, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Celia · Sibling names for Celia
Celia is also a nickname for Cecilia.
Questions about the name Celia
What does Celia mean?
Celia means “heavenly (Latin Caelia)” (Latin origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Celia?
Celia was the 774th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 351 babies. Its best year was 1882, when it ranked 141st; the most babies were born in 1915 (853). Over the last ten years it has moved up 78 places. More babies were named Celia in the 1910s than in any other decade.
Is Celia a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Celia in the US.
Where is Celia most popular?
In 2021–2025, Celia was most common in Rhode Island (0.80 per 1,000 girls), followed by Massachusetts and Michigan.