Celine
A feminine name of French origin meaning "heavenly" or "celestial".
Name Census estimates that about 15,742 living Americans carry the first name Celine. It sits at #227 in the overall ranking, outside the top 50 but still well-represented. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Celine today is around 19 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Celine births was 2024 (1,347 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Celine. 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
16K
~ 1 in 21,773 Americans
Peak year
2024
1,347 babies that year
Average age
19
years old
2024 SSA rank
#227
Tracked since 1893
Popularity
Celine: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Celine from the 1890s through to the 2020s, spanning 14 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 4,793 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Celine 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 Celine during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Celines live
The SSA's state-level files cover 42 states and territories. California, New York, Texas recorded the most babies named Celine, while New Hampshire, Mississippi, Arkansas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 322 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Celine
The name Celine has its origins in the Latin language, stemming from the word "caelestis," which means "heavenly" or "celestial." It gained popularity during the early days of Christianity and was often associated with religious figures or saints.
The earliest recorded use of the name Celine can be traced back to the 5th century, when a young woman named Celine lived in the region of Gaul (modern-day France). She was known for her piety and charitable works, and was later canonized as Saint Celine.
In the 6th century, a nun named Celine de Laon lived in northern France and founded a convent dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Her life and teachings were widely revered, and her name became associated with religious devotion and service.
During the Middle Ages, the name Celine gained further prominence in France and other parts of Europe. It was often bestowed upon daughters of noble families, signifying their connection to the heavens and divine grace.
One of the most notable historical figures named Celine was Celine Binet (1838-1924), a French writer and feminist activist. She was a prolific author and advocated for women's rights and education.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Celine Navarro (1900-1949), a French singer and actress who rose to fame during the early 20th century. She was celebrated for her performances in operettas and films.
In the literary world, Celine Arnauld (1624-1694) was a French writer and philosopher who contributed to the development of rationalist thought and Cartesian philosophy.
Celine Dion (born 1968) is perhaps the most famous modern-day bearer of the name. The Canadian singer and songwriter has achieved global recognition for her powerful vocals and chart-topping hits.
While the name Celine has seen various spellings and forms throughout history, such as Celina, Selina, and Caelina, its celestial roots and associations with religious devotion and grace have remained a consistent theme.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Celine
People
Celine + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Celine 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
Celine: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Celine?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 15,742 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Celine 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 21,773 US residents.
Is Celine a common name?
We classify Celine as "Uncommon". It ranks above 98.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 17,052 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Celine most popular?
The single biggest year for Celine was 2024, when 1,347 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Celine is about 19 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Celine a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Celine 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.