Celsus

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Celsus

Gender: Masculine
Language: Latin
Etymology:
Celsus is a Latin name meaning “Tall.”

History:
Celsus was a Latin name. It belonged to a handful of several early saints.

This rare Latin name was adopted by the Irish Gaels as an equivalent to their native name Ceallach (although the two names are unrelated). Later, Ceallach was Anglicized as Kelly.

Various forms of Celsus were found, every so often, among Catholic populations.

Pronunciation: kel-so.

Alternates: Kelsos.
Italian: Celso.
Spanish: Celso.

Famous Bearers:
Educators, Scholars, and Social Workers:
Aulus Cornelius Celsus (1st century)
Roman encyclopedist.
Celsus (2nd century)
Greek philosopher.

Political Figures:
Titus Cornelius Celsus (-265)
Roman usurper.

Religious Figures:
St. Celsus (1st century)
Possibly martyred with St. Nazarius by Nero.
Celsus (-302)
Possibly martyred with St. Julian.
St. Cellach (St. Celsus) (6th century)
A disciple of St. Kiernan.
Ceallach mac Aedha (St. Celsus of Armagh) (1079-1129)
Bishop of Armagh

Popularity:
Percentage from the 1990 U.S. Census:
less than 0.004 % named Celsus

Popularity of Celsus:
Popularity (for newborns):
1880-2004: N/A

Selected Sources:
The Penguin Dictionary of First Names, Pickering, 1999
A Dictionary of First Names, Hanks and Hodges, 1990