How to say it
ce · LESTE
/səˈlɛst/
Feminine
Celeste
Heavenly
What it means
From Latin caelestis ('heavenly, of the sky'), feminine of Celestin. The 17th-century French Babar children's-book series features Queen Celeste; Big Little Lies's Celeste Wright (Nicole Kidman) is the modern English-language anchor.
Celeste comes from the Latin caelestis ('heavenly, of the sky'), the feminine of Celestin. Five popes were named Celestine (the masculine French form); Saint Celestine V (Pope 1294) is the only pope to have voluntarily abdicated until Benedict XVI. The French Babar children's books (Jean de Brunhoff, from 1931) feature Queen Celeste, Babar's elephant queen. Big Little Lies (HBO, 2017-2019) featured Celeste Wright (Nicole Kidman) as one of the Monterey Five. As a given name Celeste has been steady in the US top 500 since 2000 and is climbing. Cele and Lecy are uncommon shorts; most Celestes stay full.
Popularity over time
peaked at #188 in 2025, currently #188 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pop culture
Big Little Lies's Celeste Wright (Nicole Kidman) is the modern English-language anchor; Babar's Queen Celeste is the deeper European reference.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Queen Celeste (Babar) Babar the elephant's wife in Jean de Brunhoff's series
- Celeste Wright Nicole Kidman's character in Big Little Lies
Spelling variants
- Celestina
- Celestine
Names with the same feeling
See Celeste from another angle
By style