Gender Feminine
Pronounced Pron. seh-SEE-lee-ə(English) seh-SEEL-yə(English) cheh-CHEE-lya(Italian) theh-THEE-lya(European Spanish) seh-SEE-lya(Latin American Spanish) seh-SEEL-yah(Danish, Norwegian) [key·IPA]
Meaning & History
Latinate feminine form of the Roman family name Caecilius, which was derived from Latin caecus meaning "blind". Saint Cecilia was 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. She was later regarded as the patron saint of music and musicians.Due to the popularity 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 - the Latinate form Cecilia came into use in the 18th century.
Related Names
DiminutivesCece, Celia, Cissy, Sissie, Sissy(English) Cilla(Swedish) Cille, Silje, Sille(Danish) Silje(Norwegian) Cilla, Silke(Dutch) Silja(Finnish)
Other Languages & CulturesCaecilia(Ancient Roman) Cecília(Catalan) Cecilija(Croatian) Cecílie, Cecilie(Czech) Silja(Estonian) Cécile, Cécilia(French) Cäcilia, Cäcilie, Silke, Zilla(German) Cecília, Cili(Hungarian) Sheila, Síle(Irish) Cecylia(Polish) Cecília, Cila(Portuguese) Tsetsiliya(Russian) Sìleas(Scottish) Cecília(Slovak) Cecilija, Cilka(Slovene) Cecilija(Sorbian)
User SubmissionCecilía
Popularity
Images

People think this name is
classic formal upper class natural wholesome delicate refined strange serious nerdy
Name Days
Categories
Atelier characters, Charles Dickens characters, disabilities, ends in -lia, Fire Emblem characters, Gundam characters, Infinite Stratos characters, martyrs, music, musicians, never out of the US top 1000, Orthodox saints, Quantico characters, saints, Wild Arms characters, William Faulkner characters, Ys characters