Cecilia
Origin of the name Cecilia:
Feminine form of Cecil, which is derived from Caecilius, an old Roman family name, which has its root in the Latin caecus (blind, dim-sighted). The name was borne by a 3rd-century Christian who founded a church in the Trastevere section of Rome. During the 6th century, a story of her life was written and she was henceforth venerated as a martyr. She is regarded as the patron saint of musicians.
From A World of Baby Names by Teresa Norman. Buy the bookNamipedia Users Say...
Smart?
Sexy?
Friendly?
Creative?
Strong?
Young?
Sophisticated?
Sibling Names for Cecilia...
Do you know any real life Cecilias?
What are their siblings named?
Reader Contributions
Contribute to, or edit, this collection of community wisdom on the name Cecilia!
- Comments and insights on the name Cecilia: | Edit
I'm not surprised to find Cecilia so low in popularity in the '50's. I knew my name was unique--and that wasn't a good thing for me when I was young. I always wanted to find my name on one of those name plates at stores, and never did. When it was my turn, I named my sons two of the most popular names for boys in their birth years. They had to cope with the problem of having several people in their classes with the same name. There must be a happy medium. Although reading some news about boys with unpopular names doing poorer, I'm glad I named my sons strong, common, traditional masculine names. I do think names make a difference, and more for boys than for girls. Both of my sisters had names which were unusual for the 50's. One named her daughter a fairly common name, and the other a rare name. (Not in top 1000.)
- Personal experiences with the name Cecilia: | Edit
- Share what you know!
- Nicknames for Cecilia: | Edit
Cici, Sissy, Cissy, Ceil, Celia, Ceci, Celie, Cece
I was Cissy until college, and then I demanded that my family give me back my original name of Cecilia. They did, which made me happy. Other friends and relatives who tried to reclaim names from nicknames were not so lucky. Anyone else had this experience?My cousin couldn't pronounce Cecilia when we were little so he started calling me Cila, my family all followed his example (this is in South Africa).
- Meanings and history of the name Cecilia: | Edit
- Share what you know!
- Famous real-life people named Cecilia: | Edit
St. Cecilia, early Christian martyr and patron saint of musicians
Cecilia Bartoli, Italian opera singer
Cecilia Nina Bowes-Lyon, Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne, maternal grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II
Cecilia Cheung, Hong Kong singer and actress
Cecilia Roth, Argentine actress
Cecilia Bolocco, Chilean television personality and former Miss Universe- Cecilia in song, story & screen: | Edit
"Oh Cecilia" By Simon & Garfunkel.
Cecilia is one of the protagonists in the novel and movie Atonement.
"Does Your Mother Know You're Out, Cecilia?" (second line "Does she know that I'm about to steal ya?"), song by Hal Derwin with Shep Fields, 1940s big band artist from the West Coast.
NameVoyager US Popularity of Cecilia Over Time
NameMapper Current Popularity of Cecilia by State
Global Popularity of the Name Cecilia
- #254 in Norway
- #270 in United States
- #340 in Canada (British Columbia)
- #434 in Canada (Quebec)
Baby Name Wizard Store
Celebrate with personalized baby name products! Custom birth announcements, invitations, bibs, onesies & more.
Start Shopping