Girl · Latin · International · Christian
Cecilia
CeciliaSay it suh-SEEL-yuh
- Meaning today
- Blind, musical
- Original meaning
- "feminine of Caecilius, the name of a Roman clan" Lewis & Short, s.v. Caecilius
- Say it
- suh-SEEL-yuh
- Other spellings
- Cecelia, Cecily, Cecile
Cecilia
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Cecilia meaning
Cecilia is an international and Christian girl's name of Latin origin.
Meaning today
Blind, musical
Original Latin meaning
"feminine of Caecilius, the name of a Roman clan"
Source: Lewis & Short, A Latin Dictionary (1879), s.v. Caecilius · entry Caecilius · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
Cecilia comes from Caecilia, the feminine of Caecilius, the name of a Roman clan; Lewis and Short's dictionary lists among its members the powerful Metelli family and the comic poet Caecilius Statius. Name lists often say Cecilia means "blind", connecting it with Latin caecus, but the dictionary makes no such link, so that meaning is uncertain. Its best-known bearer is Saint Cecilia, a Roman virgin martyr traditionally dated to the third century. Because she is said to have sung in her heart to God during her wedding music, she is the patron saint of music.
References: Lewis & Short, Caecilius (alatius.com) · Wikipedia, Saint Cecilia
Famous namesakes
- Saint Cecilia, Roman martyr and patron saint of music
Popularity abroad
- #108 United States, girls 2025 (up 15 from 123 in 2024)
US Social Security Administration - #172 England and Wales, girls 2025
Office for National Statistics
Official birth registrations. India publishes no national name statistics.
Spellings
Cecilia · Cecelia · Cecily · Cecile