Explore the Family Name Celeste

The meaning of Celeste

1. Italian, Portuguese, and Hispanic (mainly Philippines); French (Céleste): from the female personal name Celeste, Céleste, derived from Latin caelestis ‘celestial, heavenly’. 2. Altered form (Céleste) of French Salesses: habitational name from (Les) Salesses, the name of several places in France, e.g. in Creuse. History: Some of the American bearers of the surname Celeste or Céleste are descendants of Pierre Salesses from France, who married Marie-Victoire Sirois in Saint-Basile in Madawaska County, NB (Canada), in 1826. Some characteristic forenames: Italian Angelo, Salvatore, Antonio, Carlo, Carmine, Constantino, Rocco.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Celeste in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Celeste has seen a rise in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Celeste was ranked 20,111th in terms of popularity, but by 2010, it had jumped to 19,348th place, representing a change of 3.79%. The count of individuals with the surname also increased from 1,233 in 2000 to 1,398 in 2010, showing a growth of 13.38%. Accordingly, the proportion of people named Celeste per 100,000 population slightly elevated from 0.46 to 0.47, marking an increase of 2.17%.

20002010Change
Rank#20,111#19,3483.79%
Count1,2331,39813.38%
Proportion per 100k0.460.472.17%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Celeste

The ethnic identity associated with the Celeste surname also evolved between 2000 and 2010 according to the Decennial U.S. Census. The largest ethnic group linked to this surname is White, comprising 76.24% in 2000 and slightly declining to 73.39% in 2010. Meanwhile, the Hispanic population with the Celeste surname grew significantly by 37.66%, moving from 6.08% to 8.37% during the same period. Notably, the Black community bearing the Celeste surname saw an increase of 19.94%, shifting from 3.16% to 3.79%. The Asian/Pacific Islander ethnicity also experienced an uptick of 8.13%, rising from 11.44% to 12.37%. However, the percentage of individuals identifying as Two or more races and American Indian and Alaskan Native with the Celeste surname decreased to zero in 2010.

20002010Change
White76.24%73.39%-3.74%
Asian/Pacific Islander11.44%12.37%8.13%
Hispanic6.08%8.37%37.66%
Black3.16%3.79%19.94%
Two or More Races2.68%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.41%0%0%