Near-ultraviolet phosphors SrAl2Si2O8∶xCe3+(x=0.01, 0.05%, 0.10% and 0.30%) were synthesized with high temperature solid state method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were used to reflect crystal phase structure, and the luminescent properties of fluorescent powder were characterized with emission spectrum (PL) and excitation spectrum (PLE). Under ultraviolet-B (UVB) irradiation excitation, wide emission bands were observed in ultraviolet-A (UVA) region, which were assigned to the 5d→2F5/2 and 5d→2F7/2 transitions of Ce3+. Along with a redshift of the emission peak about 23nm, the luminescence intensity of SrAl2Si2O8 phosphor increased first and then decreased, when Ce3+ doping contents had been increased. The diversity of emission behavior under selected 280 and 325 nm excitation shows that SrAl2Si2O8∶Ce3+ have luminescence centers with two different natures, and that was further confirmed by the obviously distinct excitation spectral shapes of 320 and 390 nm emissions. Ce3+ gives priority to instead Sr2+ owing to the compatibility of ionic radius, and the crystallograhic sites are deduced by Van Uitert formula. The results indicate that Ce(Ⅰ) luminescence center originates from nine coordination of the Ce3+ ions in low concentration doping, and Ce(Ⅱ) center is due to the fact that effective coordination numbers of partial Ce3+ decrease to 8 in high concentration doping cases. The emission bands centered at 348 nm under 280 nm excitation are derived from the cooperation of both Ce(Ⅰ) and Ce(Ⅱ), and that located at 378 nm under 325 nm excitation are mainly attributed to Ce(Ⅱ). Strong near-ultraviolet fluorescence of Ce3+ under ultraviolet excitation reveals that SrAl2Si2O8∶Ce3+ phosphors are one potential material suitable for developing UV fluorescent light source.