Celia is a feminine given name of Latin origin, as well as a nickname for Cecilia, Cecelia, Celeste, or Celestina. The name is often derived from the Roman family name Caelius, thought to originate in the Latin caelum ("heaven"). Celia was popular in British pastoral literature in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, possibly stemming from the ruler of the House of Holiness in Edmund Spenser's epic poem The Faerie Queene or from a character in William Shakespeare's play As You Like It.
Celia could indeed have Berber origins, since it is considered as a variant of the Quinquegentiani princess Cyria, daughter of Flavius Nubel. The name is derived from the Berber word "Tissirt" meaning quern-stone. The name shares the same origins as the historical city Cirta. A popular variant of the name is Silya/Celya.
It is a popular name in Lebanon and Maghreb countries (Algeria more specifically).
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Names with similar meanings in other languages
Kūlani ("heavenly", Hawaiian)
Silke (German)
Sylia (Berber)
Shiela (English)
Célia (French)
Celia (Galician, Italian, Polish, Spanish)
Ουρανία ("heavens", Greek, pronounced [uraˈni.a])
Cèlia (Catalan)
Célia (Portuguese)
Ciel, Cielke, Cieltje (Dutch)
Síle (Irish, Gaelic)
Silje (Norwegian)
Fictional characters
Celia, in the play As You Like It
Celia, in the Japanese manga series Rave Master, voiced by Ryoka Yuzuki in some video games
Celia B., in the US animated sitcom Regular Show
Celia Carmichael, in the 1989 Australian horror drama film Celia, played by Rebecca Smart
Celia Castle, in the US superhero TV series Arrow, played by Christina Cox
Celia Donald, in the Australian police drama series Blue Heelers, played by Helen Trenos and Suzy Cato
Celia Facilier, in the 2019 US musical fantasy TV film Descendants 3, played by Jadah Marie
Celia Fitzgerald, in the US TV soap opera All My Children, played by Jordan Lane Price
Celia Flores, in the US post-apocalyptic horror drama TV series Fear the Walking Dead, played by Marlene Forte
Celia Forrest, in the 1991 UK TV comedy drama The Sharp End, played by Gwen Taylor
Celia Fury, in the children's book- and TV series The Revenge Files of Alistair Fury, played by Susannah Doyle in the TV series
Celia Gálvez de Montalbán, in the Spanish novels starting in 1929 with Celia, lo que dice
Celia Gerard, in the US period spy drama TV series The Americans, played by Gillian Alexy