The first name Cecilia
A girl’s name from Latin meaning “blind”.
Pronounced /sɪˈsiːli.ə/ 3 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Latin origin
Cecilia means “blind” in Latin.
From Latin Caecilia, feminine form of Caecilius, a Roman family name possibly derived from the byname caecus (“blind”). Popularized by Saint Cecilia, third century Roman martyr, the patron saint of music. Doublet of Sheila.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 282 girls were named Cecilia, making it the 172nd most popular girls’ name.
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Cecilia with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Cecilia at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 2,506 girls born in the United States were named Cecilia, the 108th most popular girls’ name that year.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Cecilia in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Cecilia in Esperanto, Italian, Spanish and Swedish too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Cecilia
49 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Cecilia Helena Payne GaposchkinBritish-born American astronomer, 1900–1979
- Cecilia RothArgentine actress, born 1956
- Cecilia BeauxAmerican artist (1855-1942)
- Cecilia CheungChinese actress and singer, born 1980
- Cecilia Bowes-Lyon, Countess of Strathmore and KinghorneCountess of Strathmore and Kinghorne (1862-1938); mother of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Moth
- Cecilia RouseAmerican economist, born 1963
- Cecilia ColledgeBritish figure skater, 1920–2008
- Cecília MeirelesBrazilian writer (1901–1964)
- Cécilia AttiasFormer wife of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, born 1957
- Cecilia GriersonArgentine physician (1859-1934)
- Cécilia BerderFrench fencer, born 1989
- María Cecilia RognoniField hockey player, born 1976
More Latin girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Cecilia mean?
- Cecilia means “blind” in Latin.
- What is the origin of the name Cecilia?
- From Latin Caecilia, feminine form of Caecilius, a Roman family name possibly derived from the byname caecus (“blind”). Popularized by Saint Cecilia, third century Roman martyr, the patron saint of music. Doublet of Sheila.
- How popular is the name Cecilia?
- In 2025, 282 girls born in England and Wales were named Cecilia, ranking 172nd.
- What are nicknames for Cecilia?
- Common nicknames for Cecilia include Sissy, CeeCee, Cece, Cecy.
- Is Cecilia a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 111,688 US babies named Cecilia since 1880 were girls.
- When was Cecilia most popular?
- 2025 in the United States, when 2,506 babies were named Cecilia, its highest rank at 108th.
- How do you pronounce Cecilia?
- Cecilia is /sɪˈsiːli.ə/, 3 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Cecilia?
- Cecily, Cicely and Cecelia.