The baby name Celeste hits a sweet spot – it’s familiar, but not too common. Add in elegant style and a great meaning, and this could be a great name for a daughter.
Thanks to Another for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.
HEAVENLY CELESTE
This name sounds antique, and that tracks. We need to go back to the ancient world. The Latin caelestis means heavenly.
Caelestis and Caelestinus were used as personal names in late Latin, but the history books usually list them as Celestine. Popes – five of them – answered to Celestine between the 400s and the 1200s.
Feminine forms like Celestia, Celestria, and Celestina occurred, too.
So did Celeste.
Born in 1600, Virginia Galilei grew up as the eldest daughter of world-changing astronomer Galileo Galilei. She took religious orders while still in her teens. Virginia adopted the name Maria Celeste, honoring both her faith and her father’s calling.
The name’s dual connection to the heavens and the night sky persisted over the years. In 1801, French astronomer Jerome Lalande and the staff of the Paris Observatory published Histoire Céleste Française, a major star catalog.
And so the baby name Celeste carries a dual meaning: both scientific achievement and spirituality, balanced in two short syllables.
MUSICAL CELESTA
Musical references surround this delicate name.
First, a celesta looks a little like an upright piano. It’s a late nineteenth century and early twentieth century instrument. You’ve probably heard it in Tchaikovsky’s “The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” in The Nutcracker. The celesta offers a magical, enchanted sound.
If you know your opera, there’s “Celeste Aida” – heavenly Aida, from the famous Verdi opera.
There’s more. The voix celeste – heavenly voice – is an organ stop. And Celeste de Longpré Heckscher composed her own works in the early twentieth century.
TURN OF THE CENTURY
The baby name Celeste appears in the US Top 1000 from 1880 – the first year for which data is available – right up through today.
A handful of references from the late 1800s and early 1900s include:
Tennessee Celeste Claflin opened a Wall Street brokerage firm with her sister way back in 1870. Tennie C. also ran for Congress, while her sister, Victoria Woodhull, ran for president. They’re fascinating figures.
In 1872, the abandoned ship Mary Celeste was discovered floating in the Atlantic. Despite being seaworthy and well-supplied, the crew abandoned ship. The mystery commanded headlines – both in 1872, and in subsequent years. Theories and tales appeared steadily into the 1920s; it still turns up on historical sites and shows today.
If you visited the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris, you would have seen Le Grand Globe Céleste – a theater showing a movie of the solar system, in the shape of a giant sphere.
BY THE NUMBERS
The baby name Celeste ranks in the US Top 1000 every year since 1880, but has never appeared in the Top 200.
Maybe that’s because we’re lacking a fictional – or real – Celeste to put this name on parents’ radar. It spiked in use briefly after Six Figures Under gave the name to a character during the fourht season, taking the name to #204 in 2004.
You might think of Celeste, the elephant queen and wife of Babar, from Jean de Brunhoff’s children’s books.
And The Originals/Vampire Diaries also featured a character by the name.
As of 2018, the baby name Celeste ranked a relatively rare #441.
TWO SYLLABLES OR THREE?
The baby name Celeste is pronounced with two syllables in English. That’s true for French and German, too. But say it in Spanish or Italian, and it’s three syllables – the final ‘e’ makes an ‘ay’ sound.
Either way, Celeste feels polished. It’s a pretty name, but far from frilly. It fits with French names for girls, like Genevieve and Madeleine. But unlike those names, the baby name Celeste seems stuck in style limbo.
That might make it the perfect opportunity: a great meaning, a host of intriguing associations from opera to the heavens, and a tailored, but delicate sound.
The baby name Celeste fits in and stands out – making it the compromise choice many parents seek.
Would you consider the baby name Celeste for a daughter?
First published on October 23, 2008, this post was revised and republished on August 20, 2012, and again on June 15, 2020.
I don’t pronounce my name “Ceh-lest,” (I extremely dislike it when people call me that, and I will correct them) because I’m Puerto Rican, my mother gave me the name Seh-les-te (accent on the e) and it’s beautiful. My middle name is Cristal (roll the r and you’ll get the spanish pronunciation) So it’s Celeste Cristal. I love it, and I go by nicknames CC and Celi. The only thing I hate about my name is when people mispronounce it. My name reflects my heritage and culture, and when people don’t say it the way it’s supposed to, it’s like ignoring my background and story. I also don’t like the fact the english version rythmes with molest and incest, but it also rythmes with blessed, best, zest, so it isn’t all that bad. It does mean, heavenly, pure, and it relates to all things celestial, so it’s the perfect name 🙂
i love this name, i want it as an option for my daughter (due in February), but the husband isnt liking ANYTHING and its getting very annoying. I was hooked on Maya but now i think its too common. Celeste would be a great alternative.
Well, I’m a Celeste, and I love being one because it’s different. I don’t know any other Celestes and I’ve only ever heard of one or two in my life.
THe nickname thing was sort of annoying so then to accommodate, when I was about 9 I decided I didn’t want a nickname. My siblings had attempted to give me several nicknames that I HATED.
When I started High School, I got various nicknames, including; Cesspit, Cecil, Ces, Cesty, Celesty-my-besty, Celeste-the-best, Celecel (I think you would spell it like that), Cest and Strangely, Celery (although I’m apparently not alone on that one).
There are so many, and all of them I hate. Some more than others. Only today I found a what a “Cesspit” is. Ouch.
Some reckon its too many syllables, but its only 2!
Its also funny watching some people trying to say it, but most people can say it.
Also, tonnes of people spell it wrong.
And occasionally people realise what things it rhymes with (see Lola’s post) and think they’re very clever and funny.
Anywayz, just thought you’d like to hear from a Celeste’s point of view.
(Also, Yay Queen Celeste from BarBar and Celeste as in Daphne and Celeste!!!)
I’ve never been a fan of Celeste, on sound alone, but Celestine used to be pretty high on my list.
I want to like Celeste for the reasons Verity cited above, she sounds pretty, feminine but not frilly, she’s underused and has little room for manoeuvre as far as nicknames are concerned, plus I ought to like her she sounds a lot like many of the names I do love but for some reason I just can’t quite get to grips with her. I don’t think Daphne and Celeste singing ‘Ohh stick you, you’re mama too, and your daddy’ has helped the situation along either! Still, I’m gonna work on my self…
Reminds me most of Queen Celeste in the Babar books. I used to love those. I don’t think I’d use it. I do like Selena….. and no relation to Celeste but I like Celia, Cecilia, Cecily.
I don’t mind lack of nicknames. With most names I’d like to use the whole name…with some exceptions… I like Kate as a nn for Katherine and Cassie for Cassandra
I love Celeste! It’s classy and I like that it isn’t common or over the top. I was considering it, but my dear boyfriend said no since it rhymes with something I’m not even gonna bother saying. He said if I have to use it, then I should use it as a middle name. One of my teachers in 8th grade was named Celeste and I also knew a little girl in Elementary school with that name.
I love Celine and Selena too. I like Celine Dion’s music so I get no bad vibes from the name.
I knew a Celeste in HS, the only problem she said she ever had with her name is it’s rhyme: molest. She also didn’t like her lack of nicknames. And there’s the breaking point for me; I adore nicknames. I’d happily use Celeste in the middle, but honestly? Celestine on a guy intrigues me more. Now there’s something I’d consider! 🙂
I also think she’s a brand name in the States: Mama Celeste ring a bell for anyone? Definitely middle material. No one could call Celeste filler material, I think!
I like Celeste a lot! Unfortunately it’s not on any future baby name list, having been knocked off in the early stages of my last pregnancy by my tradition loving husband. I like the meaning, too. Maybe if I remind DH about the Babar connection he might think again…
I quite love Celeste, we knew a Celeste, the little sister to Gabrielle and Sebastien when we lived in France, and Cel was the sweetest little thing!
Celine is too Celine Dion for me.
And Selena will always make me cry…