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Celeste

Girl name · 53 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Celeste: 53 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to girls, peaking at 7 births in 2019.

Celeste reaches English from the Latin *caelestis*, meaning "heavenly" or "of the sky," a name that has graced saints, including a 5th-century pope, and carries a celestial elegance. The most famous bearer is the American actress Celeste Holm, an Oscar winner for *Gentleman's Agreement*, while the name also belongs to the French novelist and diarist Céleste Albaret, Marcel Proust's devoted housekeeper. Its root connects to the Via Caelestis, an ancient Roman road, and to the Caelian Hill in Rome, one of the city's seven hills. A notable variant is the Italian Celestina, while the name's celestial theme has made it a popular choice for characters in literature and film, often evoking a sense of ethereal beauty.