2000
#9,506
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,137
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.16
Rare Last name
Celestine
Derived from the Latin word "caelestis," meaning heavenly or celestial, likely referring to a person with divine or saintly qualities.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,180 Americans carry the last name Celestine. That puts it at #8,643 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 81,999 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Celestine surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
4.2K
1 in 81,999
Census rank
#8,643
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,645 bearers of the surname Celestine in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8643rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Celestine, the largest self-reported group is Black at 82.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.5%) and White (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Celestine
The surname Celestine is derived from the Latin name "Caelestinus", which means "heavenly" or "celestial". It originated in Italy during the Middle Ages and was likely a nickname given to someone with a particularly spiritual or pious demeanor.
The earliest recorded use of the surname Celestine can be traced back to the 13th century in the regions of Tuscany and Lazio in central Italy. It was often spelled as "Celestino" or "Celesti" in these early records.
One of the most notable historical figures with the surname Celestine was Pope Celestine V, born Pietro del Murrone in 1215 in the Abruzzi region of Italy. He was elected Pope in 1294 but resigned just five months later, becoming the first Pope to voluntarily abdicate the papacy. He was canonized in 1313 and is remembered for his humility and ascetic lifestyle.
Another notable figure was the Italian architect and sculptor Giacomo Celestine, who lived in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He is best known for his work on the Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome and the Church of San Bernardo alle Terme in Rome.
In the 16th century, the surname Celestine appeared in records from the city of Siena, where a family of that name was known for their involvement in the textile trade. One member, Giovanni Celestine, was a prominent merchant and served as a city councilor in the 1540s.
In the 17th century, a French branch of the Celestine family emerged in the region of Provence. Jean-Baptiste Celestine, born in 1633, was a renowned painter and engraver who worked in Paris and received commissions from the French royal court.
Another notable figure was the Italian philosopher and theologian Celestine Galiani, who lived from 1681 to 1753. He was a prominent figure in the Enlightenment movement and wrote extensively on topics such as economics, ethics, and religious philosophy.
While the surname Celestine has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, it has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including religious figures, artists, merchants, and scholars, reflecting its celestial origins and associations with spirituality and intellectual pursuits.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Celestine
Among Census respondents with the surname Celestine, the largest self-reported group is Black at 82.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.5%) and White (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Celestine bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Celestine surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American82.1% · 2,994
- Two or more races5.5% · 199
- White4.1% · 149
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 139
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.8% · 103
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 61
Timeline
Historical Census data for Celestine
Celestine appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#7,145
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,680
+1,543 bearers (+49.2%)
Per 100,000 1.59
Rank movement Up 2,361 places
2020
#8,643
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,645
-1,035 bearers (-22.1%)
Per 100,000 1.22
Rank movement Down 1,498 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,506 | 3,137 | 1.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,145 | 4,680 | 1.59 | +1,543 bearers (+49.2%) | Up 2,361 places |
| 2020 | #8,643 | 3,645 | 1.22 | -1,035 bearers (-22.1%) | Down 1,498 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Celestine surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,145 | #8,643 | -21.0% |
| Count | 4,680 | 3,645 | -22.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.59 | 1.22 | -23.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Celestine bearers went from 4,680 to 3,645 (-22.1% change). The surname moved down 1,498 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,145 to #8,643.
FAQ
Celestine surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Celestine?
Name Census estimates that about 4,180 living Americans carry the surname Celestine. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 81,999 residents.
How common is Celestine?
Celestine ranks #8,643 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.22 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,645 people with the surname Celestine. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,180), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.22 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Celestine.
Has Celestine become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Celestine went from 4,680 recorded bearers to 3,645. That is a decrease of 1,035 (-22.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,145 to #8,643.
What does the Census say about the background of Celestine?
Among Census respondents with the surname Celestine, the largest self-reported group is Black at 82.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.5%) and White (4.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Celestine in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.1% (2,994 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Celestine appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (82.1%), Two or More Races (5.5%), White (4.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Celestine (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Celestine mean?
Derived from the Latin word "caelestis," meaning heavenly or celestial, likely referring to a person with divine or saintly qualities. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Celestine (1.22 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Celestine?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.