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Name at a glance

Cecilia

Cecilia is a Latin name of uncertain etymology, possibly connected to caecus ('blind') but the Caecilius family name predates any Christian association.

Ranked #108 in US baby names in 2025, rising over the past 5 years.

Cecilia is remembered in Christian heritage as Saint Cecilia of Rome, the early 3rd-century virgin martyr and patron of music honored across the Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican traditions.

Browse names
OriginLatin
GenderGirl
FeelVintage classic
Pronunciationseh-SEE-lee-uh

Is Cecilia biblical?

No

Biblical status Not in Scripture

Cecilia is not a biblical name; it is a Latin name from the Roman family name Caecilius that entered Christian use through a later saint.

Is Cecilia a Christian name?

Yes

Christian tradition Saint or church-history heritage

Cecilia is established through Saint Cecilia of Rome, an early third-century virgin martyr named in the Roman Canon and honored as patron of music across the Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican traditions.

Plain answer

Cecilia is not a biblical name, but it is a strongly established Christian name through Saint Cecilia of Rome and over 1,700 years of church tradition.

Confidence High Last reviewed July 19, 2026 How this works

Meaning

The meaning of Cecilia

Cecilia comes from the Latin Caecilia, the feminine form of the Roman family name Caecilius. The etymology is honestly uncertain: the family name may be connected to the Latin adjective caecus ('blind') but the Caecilii were a plebeian Roman gens whose name predates any Christian association, and the derivation from caecus is not established with certainty. Traditional Christian devotional readings sometimes describe Cecilia as 'blind to worldly things' or 'she who lost her sight' as a folk-etymology reading, but the underlying Roman family name is what actually anchors the name's history. The Christian tradition entered through Saint Cecilia of Rome and gave the name its enduring register.

Sound

How to pronounce Cecilia

Phonetic
seh-SEE-lee-uh
IPA
/sɪˈsiːliə/

4 syllables · stress: seh-SEE-lee-uh · ends in a vowel

Forms

Variants and nicknames

Alternate spellings

  • Cecelia
  • Celia
  • Cicely
  • Cécile
  • Cecily

Short forms and nicknames

  • Cece
  • Celia
  • Cissy

Languages

Cecilia in other languages

Latin
CaeciliaThe classical Latin form is Caecilia, the feminine of the Roman family name Caecilius. The Caecilii were a plebeian Roman gens predating the Christian era.
Italian
Cecilia
Spanish
Cecilia
French
Cécile
German
Cäcilia
Portuguese
Cecília

Christian background

Christian and biblical background

Cecilia is not a biblical name; it entered Christian tradition through Saint Cecilia of Rome (roughly 230 AD), an early Christian virgin martyr whose story became one of the most enduring in Roman Catholic devotion. Cecilia is named in the Roman Canon of the Mass alongside six other early Christian women martyrs, giving the name a permanent liturgical presence in Catholic tradition. The medieval tradition of Cecilia as patron of music (derived from the tradition that at her wedding she 'sang in her heart to God') gave rise to the annual Feast of Saint Cecilia observed by musical societies and cathedrals from the medieval period through today. Cecilia is honored across the Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican traditions, making her one of the most cross-tradition attested saint names in continuous Christian use for over 1,700 years. For more on the Christian saint tradition and how it shapes naming choices across denominations, see Early Christian saint names.

Bearers

Notable people named Cecilia

  • historical

    Saint Cecilia of RomeEarly 3rd-century Roman virgin martyr, patron of music, named in the Roman Canon of the Mass

  • modern

    Cecilia BartoliItalian coloratura mezzo-soprano opera singer, born 1966

Saint

Saint Cecilia of Rome

Traditions
Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican
Patron of
music, musicians, singers, composers, poets

Saint Cecilia of Rome (roughly 230 AD) was an early Christian virgin martyr who is named alongside Perpetua, Felicity, Agnes, Lucia, Anastasia, and Agatha in the Roman Canon of the Mass (Eucharistic Prayer I). The tradition of Cecilia as patron of music dates to the medieval period: tradition holds that at her wedding, Cecilia sang in her heart to God while musicians played. The patronage of music, musicians, singers, composers, and poets follows from this tradition, and gave rise to the annual Feast of Saint Cecilia observed in musical societies and cathedrals from the medieval period through today. Cecilia is one of the most established saint-tradition names in continuous Christian use for over 1,700 years.

Naming history

Naming tradition and history

Cecilia has sustained naming use across Catholic Europe and North America for centuries, with particular concentration in Italian, Spanish, and Irish-American Catholic families. In the 2025 SSA data Cecilia ranks #108 (girls), inside the Top 150 and near its all-time SSA peak; the name has climbed steadily through the 2010s and 2020s as part of the broader vintage-classic revival in American naming. Cecilia has appeared continuously in SSA records since 1880.

Recent US use

Cecilia in recent US use

Rank in 2025
#108
Peak rank
#108 in 2025
Recent trend
rising over the last 5 years
Years in the SSA records
146 (since 1880)

Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880-2025.

For families

For families looking at Cecilia

For a Christian family, Cecilia carries the register of Latin classical heritage, over 1,700 years of Catholic saint tradition, and one of the strongest patron-saint traditions in Christianity (music). Ranked #108 in US baby names in 2025, inside the Top 150 and rising.

Common questions

What does Cecilia mean?

Cecilia is a Latin name of uncertain etymology, possibly connected to caecus ('blind') but the Caecilius Roman family name predates any Christian association and the derivation is not established with certainty. Traditional devotional readings sometimes give 'blind to worldly things' as a folk etymology.

Is Cecilia a biblical name?

No. Cecilia is a Latin name that entered Christian tradition through Saint Cecilia of Rome (roughly 230 AD) rather than through scripture. The name predates the Christian era as a Roman family name and gained its Christian heritage through the martyr tradition.

Is Cecilia a Christian name?

Yes. Cecilia has over 1,700 years of continuous Christian use, anchored on Saint Cecilia of Rome, the early-3rd-century Roman virgin martyr who became the patron of music. Cecilia is named in the Roman Canon of the Mass and honored across the Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican traditions.

How popular is the name Cecilia?

Cecilia ranked #108 in US baby names in 2025, inside the Top 150 and near its all-time SSA peak. The name has climbed steadily through the 2010s and 2020s as part of the broader vintage-classic revival in American naming.

Sources

Sources for Cecilia

  • The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, E. G. Withycombe (3rd edition)Supports: Latin etymology (Caecilia); uncertain meaning, possibly from caecus.
  • The Oxford Dictionary of Saints, David Hugh Farmer (5th edition)Supports: Saint Cecilia of Rome; early virgin martyr and patron of music; feast day (November 22).
  • National baby names data, US Social Security Administration (2025 release)Supports: US popularity.

Last reviewed July 19, 2026. See our methodology, or report an error on the corrections page.

Read next

Related names

AgnesBoth Saints Cecilia of Rome (early 3rd century) and Agnes of Rome (early 4th century) are early Roman virgin martyrs named together in the Roman Canon of the Mass. Both are honored across the Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican traditions; both are early-martyr saint-tradition names in continuous use since antiquity.LuciaBoth Saints Cecilia of Rome and Lucia of Syracuse are early Christian virgin martyrs from the Diocletian persecutions era named in the Roman Canon of the Mass. Cecilia (Rome, roughly 230 AD) and Lucia (Syracuse, roughly 304 AD) share the early-Roman-martyr register.ClareBoth are vintage saint-tradition Christian girls' names with sustained Catholic and Anglican naming heritage. Cecilia (early 3rd century Roman) and Clare (13th century Assisi) share the register of Catholic and Anglican saint-tradition names.PerpetuaBoth Saints Cecilia of Rome and Perpetua of Carthage are early Christian women martyrs named in the Roman Canon of the Mass. Perpetua (Carthage, 203 AD) predates Cecilia (Rome, roughly 230 AD) by a generation; both belong to the same early-martyr tradition.MonicaBoth are established Christian saint-tradition women's names with sustained cross-tradition use. Cecilia in the Roman West; Monica in the North African Latin tradition.