Cecilia · Daily fortune

Cecilia is a feminine name of Latin origin. Behind the Name describes it as the "Latinate feminine form of the Roman family name Caecilius, which was derived from Latin caecus meaning 'blind'". The name spread through the Christian world because of Saint Cecilia, a semi-legendary martyr of the 2nd or 3rd century who was later regarded as the patron saint of music and musicians. The Normans brought it to England, where Cecily was the usual spelling; the Latinate Cecilia came into use in the 18th century. It ranked #108 for girls in the United States in 2025.

Behind the Name gives Cecilia as the "Latinate feminine form of the Roman family name Caecilius, which was derived from Latin caecus meaning 'blind'". The entry ties the name's spread to Saint Cecilia, "a semi-legendary 2nd or 3rd-century martyr who was sentenced to die because she refused to worship the Roman gods"; after attempts to suffocate her failed she was beheaded, and she was later regarded as the patron saint of music and musicians. Because of the saint the name became common in the Christian world during the Middle Ages. The Normans brought it to England, where it was commonly spelled Cecily, and the Latinate form Cecilia came into use in the 18th century. Frances Burney used it for the title character of her novel Cecilia, or Memoirs of an Heiress (1782).

Cecilia ranked #108 for girls in the United States in 2025 (Social Security Administration); Behind the Name records the same rank. Behind the Name lists the name in use in English, Italian, Spanish, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Dutch, Romanian and Finnish, but no rankings outside the United States were checked in this pass.

Cecilia is a flowing four-syllable classic with soft sibilants and a musical association through its saint. It feels elegant and old-world without being stiff, and it offers a wide range of short forms from the breezy Cece to the vintage Cissy.

Names from the same family, and other long, lyrical classics.