Celesta
A feminine name of Latin origin relating to the heavens or sky.
Name Census estimates that about 933 living Americans carry the first name Celesta. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Celesta today is around 53 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Celesta births was 1921 (47 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Celesta. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
933
~ 1 in 367,368 Americans
Peak year
1921
47 babies that year
Average age
53
years old
2024 SSA rank
#13,778
Tracked since 1881
Popularity
Celesta: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Celesta from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 347 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Celesta by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Celesta during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Celestas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. Pennsylvania, Indiana, North Carolina recorded the most babies named Celesta, while Georgia, Arkansas, North Carolina recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 8 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Celesta
The name Celesta has its origins in Latin, deriving from the word "caelestis," which means "heavenly" or "celestial." This name was likely bestowed upon individuals in ancient times as a way to honor their perceived divine or celestial qualities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Celesta can be found in the writings of the Roman poet Ovid, who lived from 43 BC to 17 AD. In his famous work "Metamorphoses," he mentions a character named Celesta, though it is unclear whether this was a fictional persona or a real individual.
During the Middle Ages, the name Celesta gained popularity within certain religious orders and monasteries. It was often given to nuns or other religious figures as a way to symbolize their dedication to the heavenly realm and their perceived closeness to the divine.
In the 16th century, the Italian Renaissance painter Raphael (1483-1520) included a figure named Celesta in his famous fresco "The School of Athens," which adorns the walls of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. This artistic depiction further solidified the name's association with the celestial and divine.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Celesta was Celesta Venegas (1515-1590), a Spanish nun and mystic who lived in the convent of San José in Ávila, Spain. She was known for her spiritual visions and her close friendship with St. Teresa of Ávila.
In the 18th century, the French author and philosopher Voltaire (1694-1778) included a character named Celesta in his satirical novella "Candide." This literary reference helped to popularize the name among intellectual and literary circles in Europe.
During the 19th century, the name Celesta gained some prominence in certain parts of Europe. One notable figure was Celesta Sternberg (1812-1872), an Austrian countess and philanthropist who founded several charitable institutions in Vienna.
Another significant figure with this name was Celesta Winslow (1851-1944), an American educator and activist who advocated for women's rights and played a crucial role in the establishment of the Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts.
In more recent times, the name Celesta has been relatively uncommon, though it has maintained a certain mystique and association with the celestial and divine. It continues to be bestowed upon individuals in various cultures, often with the intention of imbuing them with a sense of spirituality and connection to the heavenly realms.
People
Celesta + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Celesta as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Celesta: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Celesta?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 933 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Celesta going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 367,368 US residents.
Is Celesta a common name?
We classify Celesta as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,136 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Celesta most popular?
The single biggest year for Celesta was 1921, when 47 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Celesta is about 53 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Celesta a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Celesta in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.