Girl's name
Cecilia
Say it suh-SEE-lee-uh
Latin origin blind
4 syllables
Where Cecilia is loved, common and rare
Common in Italy. Rare in Canada, the UK, Austria and ten more places.
1 in 898 girls born in England and Wales in 2025
Italy 32ndOntario 144thEngland and Wales 172nd
LovedCommonRare
Every place
In 18 of the 40 official lists, among them Italy (32nd), Ontario (144th) and England and Wales (172nd).
Show all 18 placesShow less
| Place | Rank | Girls | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | 32nd 2024 | 1,143 | 1 in 157 |
| Ontario province | 144th 2024 | 77 | about 1 in 707 |
| England and Wales | 172nd 2025 | 282 | 1 in 898 |
| British Columbia province | 223rd 2023 | 14 | about 1 in 854 |
| Quebec province | 227th 2025 | 26 | about 1 in 1,000 |
| Austria | 235th 2025 | 25 | 1 in 1,429 |
| Switzerland | 245th 2025 | 30 | 1 in 1,133 |
| Northern Ireland | 259th 2025 | 6 | 1 in 1,214 |
| Sweden | 315th 2025 | 23 | about 1 in 1,746 |
| Ireland | 325th 2025 | 22 | 1 in 960 |
| Berlin city | 339th 2023 | 11 | about 1 in 1,319 |
| Scotland | 359th 2025 | 9 | 1 in 1,988 |
| Catalonia region as Cecília | 463rd 2025 | 6 | 1 in 3,212 |
| Norway | 491st 2025 | 4 | 1 in 5,449 |
| Poland | 498th 2025 | 4 | 1 in 29,947 |
| The Netherlands | 907th 2025 | 11 | about 1 in 5,547 |
| France as Cécilia | 1275th 2025 | 40 | 1 in 7,170 |
| Bonn city | 173rd 2025 | 4 | about 1 in 754 |
Rare, below the listed names: New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, New Zealand, Munich, Cologne, Leipzig, Rostock, Spain, Hungary, Slovenia and Israel.
Not in a short top list, so no figure: Nova Scotia (top 21), Denmark (top 50), Finland (top 50), Iceland (top 10), Estonia (top 25), Moscow (top 61), Turkey (top 30), Argentina (top 20) and Croatia (top 50).
Germany publishes no national statistics on first names. German figures here are city lists (Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Bonn, Leipzig, Rostock), never the country.
Sources: ISTAT, Contanomi (Italy); Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (Ontario); Office for National Statistics (England and Wales); BC Vital Statistics Agency (BC Data Catalogue) (British Columbia); Retraite Québec (Banque de prénoms, Données Québec) (Quebec); Statistik Austria (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1) (Austria); Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS) / Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS) (Switzerland); NISRA (Northern Ireland); Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency) (Sweden); Central Statistics Office (CSO) (Ireland); BerlinOnline GmbH; Landesamt für Bürger- und Ordnungsangelegenheiten (LABO) / Standesämter (Berlin); National Records of Scotland (Scotland); Idescat (Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya) (Catalonia); Statistics Norway (SSB) (Norway); Ministerstwo Cyfryzacji, rejestr PESEL (dane.gov.pl) (Poland); Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB) (the Netherlands); INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (France); Bundesstadt Bonn, Standesamt (opendata.bonn.de) (Bonn). How we count, and every source
About the name
Cecilia comes from the Latin Caecilia, the feminine of the Roman family name Caecilius, which may derive from the byname caecus, 'blind'. It was made popular by Saint Cecilia, the Roman martyr who is patron saint of music. Sheila is a doublet of it, through Irish.
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Four syllables, said suh-SEE-lee-uh, with the stress on the second. Cece, Cici and Sissy are pet forms. Cecelia, Cecília and Cécilia are other spellings, and Celia is a related name.
Italy is where it is most popular today, as a top-40 name. It is also used in Ontario, England and Wales, and British Columbia. It is rising in eleven regions and falling in none, even though French records place its peak in the late 1980s.
Meaning, origin, pronunciation
- Pronounced
- suh-SEE-lee-uh, 4 syllables
- Meaning
blind
- Origin
- Latin
- Other spellings
- Celia
- Celina
- Celine
- Sheila
- Sissy
- Ceecee
- CeeCee
- Cici
- Cecelia
- Cecile
- Cecily
- Cicely
- Cecil
- Caecilia
- Kekyliya
Counted together here: Cecília and Cécilia.
Etymology
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 the Wiktionary entry, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened.
Over time
Over five years: rising in 11 of 15 regions, falling in none.
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Rank in each place since 1996; higher on the chart is more popular.
Ten years of ranks
Her rank each year, English-speaking regions first. A blank means no published rank for her that year.
| Region | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | 437 | 593 | 455 | 458 | 408 | 303 | 313 | 245 | 216 | 172 |
| Scotland | 570 | 583 | 471 | 442 | 470 | 342 | 351 | 359 | ||
| Northern Ireland | 305 | 259 | ||||||||
| Ireland | 661 | 734 | 495 | 764 | 458 | 625 | 320 | 325 | ||
| Ontario | 199 | 182 | 187 | 125 | 141 | 152 | 196 | 151 | 144 | |
| British Columbia | 281 | 313 | 283 | 331 | 322 | 191 | 182 | 223 | ||
| Quebec | 601 | 337 | 337 | 435 | 310 | 271 | 228 | 242 | 238 | 227 |
| France | 630 | 856 | 829 | 925 | 1099 | 911 | 1389 | 1150 | 1523 | 1275 |
| The Netherlands | 1003 | 833 | 891 | 824 | 913 | 907 | ||||
| Austria | 416 | 604 | 387 | 324 | 363 | 399 | 326 | 532 | 361 | 235 |
| Switzerland | 471 | 546 | 409 | 430 | 380 | 341 | 354 | 372 | 438 | 245 |
| Berlin | 360 | 317 | 309 | 298 | 378 | 255 | 301 | 339 | ||
| Munich | 185 | 142 | 238 | 217 | 152 | 180 | 226 | 231 | ||
| Cologne | 236 | 599 | 439 | 449 | 420 | |||||
| Bonn | 512 | 365 | 186 | 223 | 173 | |||||
| Leipzig | 375 | 124 | 189 | 378 | 406 | 201 | 389 | 357 | ||
| Rostock | 283 | 202 | 199 | 202 | ||||||
| Norway | 356 | 440 | 419 | 347 | 467 | 489 | 385 | 491 | ||
| Sweden | 345 | 395 | 309 | 336 | 404 | 377 | 433 | 361 | 306 | 315 |
| Catalonia | 626 | 615 | 486 | 375 | 433 | 611 | 468 | 463 | ||
| Italy | 49 | 50 | 43 | 37 | 35 | 35 | 34 | 36 | 32 |
England and Wales, 1996 to 2025
| Year | Rank | Girls | per 100,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 172 | 282 | 111.3 |
| 2024 | 216 | 224 | 86.8 |
| 2023 | 245 | 184 | 71.7 |
| 2022 | 313 | 140 | 53.1 |
| 2021 | 303 | 155 | 56.6 |
| 2020 | 408 | 104 | 38.7 |
| 2019 | 458 | 92 | 32.9 |
| 2018 | 455 | 95 | 33.0 |
| 2017 | 593 | 71 | 23.7 |
| 2016 | 437 | 101 | 32.9 |
| 2015 | 492 | 88 | 28.6 |
| 2014 | 558 | 76 | 24.8 |
| 2013 | 547 | 76 | 24.6 |
| 2012 | 542 | 78 | 24.2 |
| 2011 | 615 | 65 | 20.2 |
| 2010 | 664 | 56 | 17.4 |
| 2009 | 621 | 60 | 19.1 |
| 2008 | 557 | 68 | 21.5 |
| 2007 | 655 | 53 | 17.3 |
| 2006 | 739 | 42 | 14.0 |
| 2005 | 916 | 30 | 10.4 |
| 2004 | 804 | 34 | 11.9 |
| 2003 | 759 | 36 | 12.9 |
| 2002 | 667 | 40 | 15.0 |
| 2001 | 765 | 32 | 11.9 |
| 2000 | 571 | 47 | 17.2 |
| 1999 | 678 | 35 | 12.4 |
| 1998 | 701 | 34 | 11.8 |
| 1997 | 750 | 31 | 10.6 |
| 1996 | 823 | 27 | 9.1 |
Sources: Office for National Statistics (1996-2025), OGL v3.
France since 1925
Half of the babies named Cecilia in France since 1925 were born in or after 1988. First recorded in 1925. Her peak year there: 1988, at 249.8 per 100,000 girls.
Babies named Cecilia per 100,000 girls born in France, by five-year period. Her 1988 peak is averaged into its five-year period, so the line sits below it.
Sources: INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (1900-2025), Licence Ouverte / Etalab 2.0.
Sister names for Cecilia
1 in 3,578 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Cecilia.
Similar forms, not dealt separately: Mariam.
1 in 1,278 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Cecilia.
1 in 1,921 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Cecilia.
1 in 389 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Cecilia.
1 in 515 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Cecilia.
1 in 754 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Cecilia.
1 in 660 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Cecilia.
1 in 5,964 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Cecilia.
1 in 1,193 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Cecilia.
1 in 5,282 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Cecilia.
Middle names for Cecilia
1 in 107 in Northern Ireland
Cecilia Charlotte
4-2 beats · initials CC
Changes the beat after Cecilia: 4 syllables, then 2 syllables.
1 in 86 in Ireland
Cecilia Sophie
4-2 beats · initials CS
Changes the beat after Cecilia: 4 syllables, then 2 syllables.
1 in 57 in Northern Ireland
Cecilia Grace
4-1 beats · initials CG
Changes the beat after Cecilia: 4 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 311 in Ireland
Cecilia Maria
4-3 beats · initials CM
Changes the beat after Cecilia: 4 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 102 in Ireland
Cecilia Mia
4-2 beats · initials CM
Changes the beat after Cecilia: 4 syllables, then 2 syllables.
1 in 132 in Northern Ireland
Cecilia Ruby
4-2 beats · initials CR
Changes the beat after Cecilia: 4 syllables, then 2 syllables.
1 in 214 in Northern Ireland
Cecilia Rose
4-1 beats · initials CR
Changes the beat after Cecilia: 4 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 78 in Northern Ireland
Cecilia Emily
4-3 beats · initials CE · Cecilia slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Cecilia: 4 syllables, then 3 syllables. Cecilia slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
Same style as Cecilia
Names whose popularity rose and fell with hers across regions and decades.
1 in 911 in Northern Ireland
94% alike: moves with Cecilia across countries and decades.
1 in 649 in England and Wales
94% alike: moves with Cecilia across countries and decades.
1 in 1,193 in Scotland
94% alike: moves with Cecilia across countries and decades.
1 in 405 in Northern Ireland
94% alike: moves with Cecilia across countries and decades.
1 in 660 in Ireland
93% alike: moves with Cecilia across countries and decades.
1 in 660 in Ireland
93% alike: moves with Cecilia across countries and decades.
1 in 3,578 in Scotland
93% alike: moves with Cecilia across countries and decades.
1 in 166 in Northern Ireland
93% alike: moves with Cecilia across countries and decades.
Famous people named Cecilia
Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, Cecilia Bartoli, Cecilia Roth, Cecilia Malmström, Cecilia Renata of Austria, Cecilia Cheung, Cecilia Beaux and Cecilia Bowes-Lyon, Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne.
Show all 8Show less
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British-born American astronomer 1900 to 1979
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Italian opera singer (born 1966)
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Argentine actress born 1956
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Swedish politician born 1968
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Queen Consort of Poland (lived 1611-1644)
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Chinese actress and singer born 1980
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American artist (1855-1942)
Cecilia Bowes-Lyon, Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne
Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne (1862-1938); mother of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother; maternal grandmother of Elizabeth II
People: Wikidata (CC0), linked to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists.
Questions about Cecilia
5 questions, on how popular she is, what it means, how to say it, whether she is rising and sister names.
Show all 5 questionsShow less
How popular is Cecilia?
Her best rank is No. 32 in Italy in 2024, about 1 in 157 girls. She is in the published lists of 18 of our 40 regions.
What does Cecilia mean?
Wiktionary glosses Cecilia as "blind".
How do you pronounce Cecilia?
suh-SEE-lee-uh, with 4 syllables.
Is Cecilia getting more popular?
Over five years: rising in 11 of 15 regions, falling in none.
Which sister names go with Cecilia?
The deck's top five sisters for Cecilia: Marina, Rosalie, Joanna, Flora and Laura. Each is scored on style, era, popularity and origin, with sound clashes flagged.