Girl · Latin
Caecilia
Say it: see-SIL-ee-uh
Meaning
Feminine of Caecilius, a Roman family name; ancient writers linked it to caecus 'blind', which is not proven.
Uncertainseveral explanations, none settled.
Spread through Europe by the cult of St. Cecilia; Cecily was common in medieval England.
Its wave through time
No birth counts are recorded for this name in the records loaded here: it has been given to fewer than five babies a year, or not at all, since records began.
Through the ages
- Ancient Rome750 BC to AD 476
- The Early Middle Ages400 to 800
- The High and Late Middle Ages1100 to 1450
- The Renaissance1400 to 1600
- Victorian and Belle Époque1837 to 1914
- The Modern Age1880 to today
Used by
The family of the name
Other spellings: Cecilia
| English | Cecily |
|---|---|
| Italian | Cecilia |
| Spanish | Cecilia |
| French | Cécile |
| German | Cäcilie |
| Polish | Cecylia |
Famous bearers
- St. Cecilia, patron of music
- Caecilia Metella, Roman noblewoman
Names worth a look
Where this comes from
- Roman inscriptions and tombstones
- Lives of the saints and early Christian martyrologies
- English poll taxes and lay subsidy rolls (13th and 14th centuries)
Meanings and histories are compiled from the study of names and their languages and checked by a second review.
Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.