Find out how popular the last name Celis is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Celis.

Celis, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Celis surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Celis in America

Celis is the 6170th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Celis surname appeared 5,546 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Celis.

We can also compare 2010 data for Celis to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Celis

The surname Celis originated in Spain during the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "caelestis," meaning "heavenly" or "celestial." This name was likely given to someone who lived near a church or monastery dedicated to a saint or heavenly figure.

In the early 13th century, the name Celis appeared in various records and documents in the regions of Catalonia and Aragon in northeastern Spain. One of the earliest recorded instances was in a census from the town of Lleida in 1235, where a family with the surname Celis was listed.

During the 14th century, the name Celis spread to other parts of Spain, particularly the regions of Castile and Andalusia. There are records of individuals with this surname in historical documents from cities like Seville and Toledo.

One notable figure with the surname Celis was Juan Celis, a renowned painter from Seville who lived during the late 15th and early 16th centuries. His works, primarily religious paintings and altarpieces, can be found in several churches and museums in Andalusia.

In the 16th century, the name Celis also appeared in records from the Spanish colonies in the Americas. One example is Pedro Celis, a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to Mexico in the 1520s.

Another prominent individual with this surname was María Celis, a Spanish noblewoman from Valladolid, who lived in the 17th century. She was known for her philanthropic work and founded a hospital for the poor in her hometown.

During the 18th century, the surname Celis was found in various parts of Spain, including the regions of Galicia and the Basque Country. One notable figure from this period was Antonio Celis, a Spanish military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and was awarded the Order of Saint Ferdinand for his bravery.

Throughout history, the surname Celis has also been recorded with slight variations in spelling, such as Celis, Celís, and Zelís, depending on the region and time period.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Celis

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Celis.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Celis was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Celis has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Celis was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Celis, please contact us.

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