2000
#15,963
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,672
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.62
Rare Last name
Celestino
An Italian surname derived from the Late Latin "caelestinus" meaning heavenly or celestial.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,751 Americans carry the last name Celestino. That puts it at #12,365 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.80 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 124,593 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Celestino 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
2.8K
1 in 124,593
Census rank
#12,365
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,399 bearers of the surname Celestino in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.80 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12365th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Celestino, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 60.4%. The next largest groups are White (20.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (16.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Celestino
The surname Celestino originated in Italy during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Latin word "caelestinus," meaning "celestial" or "heavenly." This name was likely given to individuals with a spiritual or religious connection or to those born under auspicious celestial circumstances.
The earliest recorded instances of the Celestino surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Italy, including Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio. One notable early bearer of the name was Celestino V, born Pietro da Morrone in 1215, who served as Pope from July to December 1294 before abdicating the papacy.
In the 14th century, the surname appeared in historical records such as the Catasto Fiorentino, a Florentine tax census conducted in 1427. This document mentions several individuals with the surname Celestino, indicating the name's presence in the Florence area during that time.
The name Celestino has also been associated with various place names throughout Italy. For example, the town of Celestino in the province of Benevento, Campania, may have derived its name from an early bearer of the surname or from its celestial connotations.
During the Renaissance period, several notable individuals bore the Celestino surname. One such figure was Francesco Celestino (1515-1589), an Italian painter and architect from Perugia who designed several churches and palaces in his hometown.
In the 17th century, the name Celestino appeared in the works of renowned Italian playwright and poet Carlo Celeste, also known as Carlo Celestino (1572-1646), who wrote numerous comedies and tragedies that were popular during his time.
Another notable bearer of the Celestino surname was Giuseppe Celestino (1679-1757), an Italian composer and violinist from Milan. He composed several operas and instrumental works that were performed throughout Europe during the Baroque period.
In the 19th century, the Celestino surname was carried by Nicola Celestino (1804-1865), an Italian lawyer and politician from Naples who served as a deputy in the Parliament of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
As the surname Celestino traveled beyond Italy's borders, it also gained recognition in other parts of Europe and the Americas. One example is Juan Bautista Celestino (1815-1891), a Mexican military officer and politician who served as Governor of the state of Puebla.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Celestino
Among Census respondents with the surname Celestino, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 60.4%. The next largest groups are White (20.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (16.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Celestino 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 Celestino surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino60.4% · 1,449
- White20.2% · 484
- Asian and Pacific Islander16.8% · 402
- Black or African American1.3% · 32
- Two or more races1.1% · 27
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Celestino
Celestino 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
#18,841
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,452
-220 bearers (-13.2%)
Per 100,000 0.49
Rank movement Down 2,878 places
2020
#12,365
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,399
+947 bearers (+65.2%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Up 6,476 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,963 | 1,672 | 0.62 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #18,841 | 1,452 | 0.49 | -220 bearers (-13.2%) | Down 2,878 places |
| 2020 | #12,365 | 2,399 | 0.80 | +947 bearers (+65.2%) | Up 6,476 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 Celestino 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 | #18,841 | #12,365 | 34.4% |
| Count | 1,452 | 2,399 | 65.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.49 | 0.80 | 63.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Celestino bearers went from 1,452 to 2,399 (+65.2% change). The surname moved up 6,476 positions in the national ranking, going from #18,841 to #12,365.
FAQ
Celestino surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Celestino?
Name Census estimates that about 2,751 living Americans carry the surname Celestino. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 124,593 residents.
How common is Celestino?
Celestino ranks #12,365 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.80 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 2,399 people with the surname Celestino. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,751), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.8 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.80 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 Celestino.
Has Celestino become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Celestino went from 1,452 recorded bearers to 2,399. That is an increase of 947 (+65.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #18,841 to #12,365.
What does the Census say about the background of Celestino?
Among Census respondents with the surname Celestino, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 60.4%. The next largest groups are White (20.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (16.8%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Celestino in the 2020 Census, accounting for 60.4% (1,449 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Celestino appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (60.4%), White (20.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (16.8%). 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 Celestino (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 Celestino mean?
An Italian surname derived from the Late Latin "caelestinus" meaning heavenly or celestial. 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 Celestino (0.80 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 share the surname Celestino?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.