Cecilia is a personal name originating in the name of

Saint Cecilia Saint Cecilia ( la, Sancta Caecilia), also spelled Cecelia, was a Roman virgin martyr and is venerated in Catholic, Eastern Orthodox Church, Orthodox, Anglican Communion, Anglican, and some Lutheran churches, such as the Church of Sweden. She b ...

, the patron saint of music. The name has been popularly used in Europe (particularly the United Kingdom and Italy, where in 2018 it was the 43rd most popular name for girls born that year), and the United States, where it has ranked among the top 500 names for girls for more than 100 years. It also ranked among the top 100 names for girls born in

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

in the early years of the 21st century, and was formerly popular in France. The name "Cecilia" applied generally to Roman women who belonged to the

plebeian In ancient Rome, the plebeians (also called plebs) were the general body of free Roman citizens who were not patricians, as determined by the census, or in other words " commoners". Both classes were hereditary. Etymology The precise origins of ...

clan A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clans may claim descent from founding member or apical ancestor. Clans, in indigenous societies, tend to be endogamous, meaning ...

of the

Caecilii The gens Caecilia was a plebeian family at ancient Rome. Members of this gens are mentioned in history as early as the fifth century BC, but the first of the Caecilii who obtained the consulship was Lucius Caecilius Metellus Denter, in 284 BC. ...

. Legends and hagiographies, mistaking it for a personal name, suggest fanciful etymologies. Among those cited by Chaucer in "

The Second Nun's Tale "The Second Nun's Tale" (Middle English: '' Þe Seconde Nonnes Tale''), written in late Middle English, is part of Geoffrey Chaucer's '' The Canterbury Tales''. Narrated by a nun who remains unnamed, it is a hagiography of the life of Saint Ce ...

" are: lily of heaven, the way for the blind, contemplation of

heaven Heaven or the heavens, is a common religious cosmological or transcendent supernatural place where beings such as deities, angels, souls, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or reside. According to the belie ...

and the active life, as if lacking in blindness, and a heaven for people to gaze upon.Chaucer, ''Canterbury Tales'', The Second Nun's Tale
prologue, 85–119. As the rubric to these lines declare, the nun draws her etymologies from the ''Legenda Aurea'' of Jacobus de Voragine (''Jacobus Januensis'' - James of Genoa - in the rubric).

People

, 2nd century virgin martyr and patron Saint of musicians and Church music * Princess Cecilia of Sweden (1540–1627) * Princess Cecilia of Sweden (1807–1844) * Cecilia of Normandy (died 1126), thought to be the daughter of William the Conqueror * Cecilia (Norwegian singer) (born 1967) * Cecilia (royal mistress) (d. after 1459), royal mistress and later morganatic wife of Eric of Pomerania, king of Denmark, Norway and Sweden * Cecilia (Spanish singer) (1948–1976) * Cécilia Attias (born 1957), former First Lady of France, ex-wife of President Nicolas Sarkozy * Cecilia Bartoli (born 1966), Italian mezzo-soprano * Cecilia Beaux (1855–1942), American society portrait painter * Cecilia Bolocco (born 1965), Chilean television entertainer, former Miss Universe 1987 and former wife of ex-Argentine president Carlos Menem * Cecilia Bowes-Lyon (1862–1938), British aristocrat and grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II * Cecilia LW Chan, Chinese social scientist *

Cecilia Cheung Cecilia Cheung Pak-chi (in Chinese 張栢芝, born 24 May 1980) is a Hong Kong actress and cantopop singer. Cheung is considered a " Sing girl"—an actress who first received media attention through starring alongside Stephen Chow, and later ...

(born 1980), Hong Kong singer and actress * Cecilia Colledge (1920–2008), British figure skater *

Cecilia Curbelo Cecilia Curbelo (Montevideo, 23 January 1975), also known as Ceci, is an Uruguayan journalist, columnist, writer and Book publishing, publishing. Books * 2017, Aunque ella esté * 2018, A la manera de Agustina * 2019, ''Lucas (e Inés) s ...

(born 1975), Uruguayan writer * Cecilia Dalman Eek (born 1960), Swedish politician *

Cecilia Damström Cecilia Damström, (born 28 July 1988) is a Finnish award-winning composer. She is known for expressing strong political opinions through her works for orchestra and choir. Career Born in Helsinki, Damström studied composition at Tampere Univer ...

, Finnish composer * Cecilia Danieli (1943–1999), Italian entrepreneur and industrialist *

Cecilia D'Elia Cecilia D'Elia Riviello (born 31 July 1963) is an Italian politician who has sat in the Chamber of Deputies since winning the 2022 Rome Trionfale by-election, which was triggered when Roberto Gualtieri resigned after being elected Mayor of Rome. ...

(born 1963), Italian politician *

Cecilia Gallerani Cecilia Gallerani (; early 1473 – 1536) was the favourite and most celebrated of the many mistresses of Ludovico Sforza, known as Lodovico il Moro, Duke of Milan. She is best known as the subject of Leonardo da Vinci's painting '' The Lady ...

(1473–1536), favourite and most celebrated mistress of Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan * Cecilia Gasdia (born 1960), Italian soprano *

Cecilia Gillie Cecilia Grace Hunt Gillie ( Reeves; 17 August 1907 – 20 April 1996) was an English radio executive for the BBC. She joined the BBC Foreign Liaison Office in 1933 and had her first foreign assignment in establishing the BBC Paris Office six year ...

(1907–1996), English radio executive *

Cecilia Grierson Cecilia Grierson (22 November 1859 – 10 April 1934) was an Argentine physician, Protestant Reformers, reformer, and prominent Freethought, Freethinker. She had the added distinction of being the first woman to receive a Medical Degree in Argen ...

(1859–1934), Argentine physician and activist *

Cecilia Johansdotter of Sweden Cecilia Johansdotter of Sweden ( fl. 1193) is the possible name of the wife of King Canute I of Sweden and mother of King Eric X of Sweden. Little is known about her except that she was of aristocratic origins and died sometime after 1193. Biogr ...

(fl. 1193), Queen Consort of King Canute I of Sweden * Cecilia Keaveney (born 1968), Irish politician *

Cecilia Malmström Anna Cecilia Malmström (born 15 May 1968) is a Swedish politician who served as European Commissioner for Trade from 2014 to 2019. She previously served as European Commissioner for Home Affairs from 2010 to 2014 and Minister for European Un ...

(born 1968), Swedish politician * Cecilia Mangini (1927–2021), Italian film director * Cecilia Suyat Marshall (1928–2022), American civil rights activist and historian *

Cecilia Moens Cecilia Moens is a Canadian developmental biologist. Moens is part of the faculty at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington, where she researches the vertebrate brain using zebrafish as a model organism. Early life ...

, Canadian developmental biologist *

Cecilia Morel María Cecilia Morel Montes (born 14 January 1954) is the wife of the former President of Chile Sebastián Piñera, and as such is the former First Lady of Chile. Morel was also the Director of the Sociocultural Area of the Presidency during bot ...

(born 1954), Chilean First Lady, wife of President Sebastián Piñera *

Cecilia Muñoz Cecilia Muñoz (born July 27, 1962) is an American political advisor who served as Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council under President Obama, a position she held for five years. Prior to that, she served as the White House Direct ...

(born 1962), Director of Intergovernmental Affairs at the White House * Cecilia Noël (born c. 1960s), wife and co-performer of Men at Work singer Colin Hay *

Cecilia Nilsson (athlete) Cecilia Nilsson (born 22 June 1979) is a retired female hammer thrower from Sweden. She set her personal best (69.09 metres) on 24 May 2008 at a meet in Halle, Saxony-Anhalt Halle (Saale), or simply Halle (; from the 15th to the 17th century: ...

(born 1979), Swedish hammer thrower * Cecilia Pantoja (born 1943), better known as Cecilia, Chilean singer songwriter *

Cecilia Parker Cecilia Parker (April 26, 1914 – July 25, 1993) was a Canadian-born American film actress. She was best known for portraying Marian Hardy, the sister of Andy Hardy in eleven of the Andy Hardy film series. Early life and career Cecilia ...

(1914–1993), Canadian actress * Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin (1900–1979), English-American astronomer * Cecilia Rich, American politician *

Cecilia Suárez María Cecilia Suárez de Garay, known professionally as Cecilia Suárez (Mexican ; born November 22, 1971), is a Mexican actress and a prominent activist working with the United Nations and European Union campaigning against femicide and viole ...

(born 1971), Mexican actress *

Cecilia Tan Cecilia Tan (born April 8, 1967) is a writer, editor, sexuality activist, and founder of Circlet Press, the first press devoted primarily to erotic science fiction and fantasy. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She also writes about baseball ...

(born 1967), American writer * Cecilia Young (1712–1789), English soprano

References

{{given name Italian feminine given names English feminine given names Latin feminine given names

People

See also

References