The first name Celia
A girl’s name from Latin meaning “heaven”.
2 syllables Female Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Latin origin
Celia means “heaven” in Latin.
Borrowed from Latin Caelia, feminine of Roman family name Caelius, probably from caelum (“heaven”). Introduced into English by William Shakespeare in As You Like It.
More names that mean sky.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 50 girls were named Celia, making it the 733rd most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2024, with 50 births (#751).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Celia with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Celia at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 351 girls born in the United States were named Celia, the 774th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1915, when 853 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Celia in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Celia in Italian, Romanian and Spanish too.
Nicknames and spellings
Nicknames for Celia
- Ce
- Cel
Famous people named Celia
29 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Celia CruzCuban singer (1925–2003)
- Celia JohnsonEnglish actress (1908–1982)
- Célia ŠašićGerman association football player, born 1988
- Celia ImrieBritish actress, born 1952
- Celia WestonAmerican actress (1951-)
- Celia SánchezCuban revolutionary (1920-1980)
- Célia XakriabáBrazilian indigenous educator and activist, born 1989
- Celia ReesEnglish author, born 1949
- Célia AymonierFrench biathlete and cross-country skier, born 1991
- Celia AdlerAmerican television actor (1889-1979)
- Celia LovskyAustrian actress (1897-1979)
- Celia FrancaBritish dancer, founder and artistic director of the National Ballet of Canada (1921-2007)
More Latin girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Celia mean?
- Celia means “heaven” in Latin.
- What is the origin of the name Celia?
- Borrowed from Latin Caelia, feminine of Roman family name Caelius, probably from caelum (“heaven”). Introduced into English by William Shakespeare in As You Like It.
- How popular is the name Celia?
- In 2025, 50 girls born in England and Wales were named Celia, ranking 733rd. Its peak was 2024, with 50 births.
- What are nicknames for Celia?
- Common nicknames for Celia include Ce, Cel.
- Is Celia a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 56,716 US babies named Celia since 1880 were girls.
- When was Celia most popular?
- 1915 in the United States, when 853 babies were named Celia, its highest rank at 195th.
- Is Celia also a surname?
- Yes. Celia is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.