Cecelia
Cecelia was the 529th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 569 babies. Its best year was 1884, when it ranked 169th; the most babies were born in 1918 (935). Over the last ten years it has moved up 15 places. More babies were named Cecelia in the 1940s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Cecilia) from the Caecilius family (perhaps 'blind') · Latin
- Rank in 2025
- #529 girls, up 44 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 569girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1918935 babies
- Total since 1880
- 60,530babies recorded
What does the name Cecelia mean?
Cecelia is a spelling of Cecilia, pronounced the same way, so it shares Cecilia's meaning and origin.
Cecilia comes from Latin Caecilia, the feminine of Caecilius, a Roman family name that DMNES and Wiktionary say may derive from caecus, 'blind'. Saint Cecilia, a Roman martyr, became the patron saint of music and is one of the women named in the Canon of the Mass, which DMNES says made the name very popular in medieval Europe. Medieval English pet forms included Cis and Cissot, and Wiktionary notes that Irish Sheila comes from the same name.
Caecilia (Latin, “feminine of Caecilius”)caecus (Latin, “blind (possible root)”)
How sure is this? Probable. The 'blind' root is offered as possible by both DMNES and Wiktionary.
Related names: Cecily, Cecile, Celia, Sheila, Cicely.
See also: Latin names.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Cecilia', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Wiktionary, entry 'Cecilia', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Cecilia', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Cecelia popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 11 since 1932.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #529 | 569 |
| 2020 | #573 | 511 |
| 2010 | #739 | 377 |
| 2000 | #771 | 296 |
| 1990 | #849 | 231 |
| 1980 | #928 | 161 |
| 1970 | #575 | 309 |
| 1960 | #406 | 559 |
| 1950 | #277 | 768 |
| 1940 | #261 | 567 |
| 1930 | #286 | 526 |
| 1920 | #217 | 890 |
| 1910 | #196 | 335 |
| 1900 | #195 | 264 |
| 1890 | #211 | 130 |
| 1880 | #226 | 47 |
How popular is Cecelia, counting every spelling?
Cecelia is a spelling of Cecilia, a name family that ranked #102 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #529 for Cecelia on its own. Together these spellings went to 3,102 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cecilia | 2,506 | #108 | 10,913 |
| Cecelia | 569 | #529 | 2,863 |
| Sicilia | 27 | #4,971 | 97 |
| Cecillia | — | — | 36 |
| Secilia | — | — | 26 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Cecelia?
569 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Cecelia (0.16 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Cecelia born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 15 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Cecelia.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Cecelia?
About 32,000 people born in the US named Cecelia are alive today, with a median age of 45; half are between 15 and 72. That makes Cecelia mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Cecelia by state
How common Cecelia was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Hampshire (4.3×), Minnesota (3.6×), Massachusetts (3.3×), Nebraska (2.8×), Iowa (2.7×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Utah, Arkansas, California.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Cecelia: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Cecelia, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Cecelia
What does Cecelia mean?
Cecelia is a spelling of Cecilia, which means “from the Caecilius family (perhaps 'blind')” (Latin origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Cecelia?
Cecelia was the 529th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 569 babies. Its best year was 1884, when it ranked 169th; the most babies were born in 1918 (935). Over the last ten years it has moved up 15 places. More babies were named Cecelia in the 1940s than in any other decade.
Is Cecelia a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Cecelia in the US.
Where is Cecelia most popular?
In 2021–2025, Cecelia was most common in New Hampshire (1.52 per 1,000 girls), followed by North Dakota and Minnesota.