Celis
A surname most often linked to Spanish or Hispanic place-name roots, especially names referring to a cellar, cave, or similar hollow place.
The #6,170 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 55,670 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Celis is best understood as a Spanish surname with a likely locational origin. It may derive from a place-name related to Latin cellad, meaning a small room, storehouse, or cellar, which could by extension refer to a hollow, enclosed place. In some cases it may also be connected to surnames formed from local geographic features rather than a single family name source.
History
The surname appears in Spanish-speaking regions and later spread through the Hispanic diaspora to the Americas and beyond. Because it can be tied to multiple place-name traditions, separate Celis lineages may not all share the same origin. In modern usage it is found especially in Spanish-speaking countries and in communities with Latin American roots.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The surname can also appear with the preposition de, a common mark of older locative Spanish surnames.