2000
#8,343
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,649
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.35
Rare Last name
Celis
Derived from the Latin word "caelum," meaning "heaven" or "sky," and referring to someone who lived near the sky.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,908 Americans carry the last name Celis. That puts it at #6,347 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 58,015 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Celis 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
5.9K
1 in 58,015
Census rank
#6,347
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,152 bearers of the surname Celis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6347th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Celis, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (8.0%) and White (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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 There are records of individuals with this surname in historical documents from cities like Seville and Toledo.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Celis
Among Census respondents with the surname Celis, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (8.0%) and White (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Celis 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 Celis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino85.8% · 4,418
- Asian and Pacific Islander8.0% · 410
- White5.2% · 269
- Two or more races0.8% · 42
- Black or African American0.2% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Celis
Celis 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
#6,170
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,546
+1,897 bearers (+52.0%)
Per 100,000 1.88
Rank movement Up 2,173 places
2020
#6,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,152
-394 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 1.72
Rank movement Down 177 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,343 | 3,649 | 1.35 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,170 | 5,546 | 1.88 | +1,897 bearers (+52.0%) | Up 2,173 places |
| 2020 | #6,347 | 5,152 | 1.72 | -394 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 177 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 Celis 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 | #6,170 | #6,347 | -2.9% |
| Count | 5,546 | 5,152 | -7.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.88 | 1.72 | -8.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Celis bearers went from 5,546 to 5,152 (-7.1% change). The surname moved down 177 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,170 to #6,347.
FAQ
Celis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Celis?
Name Census estimates that about 5,908 living Americans carry the surname Celis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 58,015 residents.
How common is Celis?
Celis ranks #6,347 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.72 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,152 people with the surname Celis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,908), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.72 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Celis.
Has Celis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Celis went from 5,546 recorded bearers to 5,152. That is a decrease of 394 (-7.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,170 to #6,347.
What does the Census say about the background of Celis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Celis, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (8.0%) and White (5.2%). 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 Celis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.8% (4,418 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Celis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (85.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (8.0%), White (5.2%). 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 Celis (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 Celis mean?
Derived from the Latin word "caelum," meaning "heaven" or "sky," and referring to someone who lived near the sky. 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 Celis (1.72 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 Americans have the surname Celis?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.