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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

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Original poster

Celeste or Dahlia?

63 replies

ThatTwinklyBiscuit · 08/02/2026 05:14

I’m stuck between two names and need outside opinions 😅 Which do you like better: Celeste or Dahlia? And why?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

HoppityBun · 12/02/2026 18:39

allmycats · 08/02/2026 10:19

Isn’t Dahlia pronounced as Darleeah when used as a name. Not Dayleea like the flower.

No. Not in the UK.

Listen or watch Fry and Laurie’s Wodehouse programmes or listen to Martin Jarvis read them. Aunt Dahlia is always day-lia.

And there was a racehorse called Dahlia in the late C20; her name was always pronounced the same way, when racing here, at least.

Darleeah is a new import from the US.

We’ll be putting flowers in a vayse, next.

LadyMonicaBaddingham · 12/02/2026 18:24

allmycats · 08/02/2026 10:19

Isn’t Dahlia pronounced as Darleeah when used as a name. Not Dayleea like the flower.

I have an Egyptian friend whose daughter is Dahlia (Darleeah). It's a beautiful name and vastly more beautiful than Celeste.

JuliettaCaeser · 12/02/2026 18:16

The only Celeste I know is a teen dds friend who is stunningly beautiful plays sport to a national level and is extremely clever. She’s also very nice. So I would choose that one!

SleafordSods · 12/02/2026 18:13

I do love Céleste. Also like Daphne, Delphine, Cecily and Cecelia.

Not too keen on Dahlia.

CandiedPrincess · 11/02/2026 13:21

Not a fan of either due to the associations I have - Celeste reminds me of My Stepmother is an Alien 😆 and Dahlia makes me think of the Black Dahlia murder. But probably says more about me than anything else!

Calliopespa · 11/02/2026 13:10

HilaryThorpe · 11/02/2026 12:35

Is it not the case that Célestin is the male name and Célestine the female?

Yes, I agree. That is far more common as a masculine form in French and to be honest I have simply never come across it used as a male name in English.

The popes were all Celestine with an e, but I agree that more generally it would be Celestin for a male and Celestine for a female.

There are lovely French stories (and a movie) about a Bear and a little orphan mouse girl and she is called Celestine. The illustrations are beautiful.

PrincessOfPreschool · 11/02/2026 13:04

I prefer Celeste despite being one of those who took it as a contraceptive (I think that was actually Cilest). I have known 2 Celestes since then (both lovely South Africans) so I think of it as a girls name now.

I don't like the sound of Dar-lee-uh or Day-Lee-uh. I do like Delphine and Cecilia or Cecily.

HilaryThorpe · 11/02/2026 12:35

Is it not the case that Célestin is the male name and Célestine the female?

VickyEadieofThigh · 11/02/2026 12:27

allmycats · 08/02/2026 10:19

Isn’t Dahlia pronounced as Darleeah when used as a name. Not Dayleea like the flower.

I dunno, but a Dahlia is going to go through life correcting peple on the pronunciation of it.

excusezmoi · 11/02/2026 12:00

Celeste is so lovely

TheeNotoriousPIG · 11/02/2026 10:00

Of the two, I'd say Céleste. I've only ever met one before, so it definitely stood out (thankfully, in the best possible way!) amongst a sea of more ordinary names. It also has a lovely meaning (heavenly).

NamingNoNames · 10/02/2026 12:46

@UneasyMe ,they're unstressed syllables and are a schwa sound. Both are sə.ˈlɛst.

UneasyMe · 10/02/2026 12:42

NamingNoNames · 10/02/2026 12:36

@UneasyMe ,But that’s like saying Sophie sounds like sofa and is therefore a bad name. I didn't say Celeste was a bad name, but Cilest and Celeste sound the same, Sophie and Sofa do not.

They don’t sound alike to me. One is sill, one is sell.

NamingNoNames · 10/02/2026 12:36

@UneasyMe ,But that’s like saying Sophie sounds like sofa and is therefore a bad name. I didn't say Celeste was a bad name, but Cilest and Celeste sound the same, Sophie and Sofa do not.

Skybluepinky · 10/02/2026 12:32

Neither, what are the other options?

UneasyMe · 10/02/2026 12:04

NamingNoNames · 10/02/2026 09:44

@UneasyMe , they sound the same.

Kind of. But that’s like saying Sophie sounds like sofa and is therefore a bad name. Also a quick google reveals Cilest was discontinued years ago

NamingNoNames · 10/02/2026 09:44

@UneasyMe , they sound the same.

UneasyMe · 10/02/2026 08:10

The contraceptive pill was/is Cilest, not Celeste!

Calliopespa · 09/02/2026 09:46

NamingNoNames · 09/02/2026 09:42

@Calliopespa , it's you who is arguing. I doubt that OP cares how many you know or their ages.

Maybe not. I only offered a suggestion she might like.

ETA people were referencing the contraceptive pill as a reason not to use Celeste, so I thought it might be a compromise.

NamingNoNames · 09/02/2026 09:42

@Calliopespa , it's you who is arguing. I doubt that OP cares how many you know or their ages.

Calliopespa · 09/02/2026 08:14

NamingNoNames · 08/02/2026 19:51

@Calliopespa , I think more people will be familiar with the name of several Popes, the EE character, and a premier league footballer from the noughties than with an opera singer from over a century ago.

It's a gender neutral name.

I know two, one in her 50's, one in her 20's. I'm not sure why you keep arguing the point.

It isn't even the name OP is considering; it was just a suggestion.

littlebilliie · 08/02/2026 23:20

I knew a Celeste she was creative and formidable. I think it’s a name for a string women

Giraffehaver · 08/02/2026 22:21

Both are pretty but I prefer Celeste

EachotherAndAnother · 08/02/2026 21:53

I really dislike both of them. Agree with a PP about the initial "D" sounding quite harsh. And Celeste just makes me think of Daphne and Celeste (even before all the suggestions of Daphne!).
That said, wouldn't the world be boring if we were all the same? You like what you like 🤷🏼‍♀️ And I've certainly met children whose names made me cringe on first meeting them, and as I've gotten to know them the name has just come to be associated in my mind with that particular (usually very sweet) child. I'm sure your child would cast their own lovely glow onto whichever name you chose.

Lemonbam · 08/02/2026 21:45

Sorry I hate the name Celeste it reminds me of celeriac

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