Cecilia is a personal name originating in the name of

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

, the

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy or Oriental Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, fa ...

of music.

History

The name has been popularly used in Europe (particularly the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

and

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, where in 2018 it was the 43rd most popular name for girls born that year), and the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, 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, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

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 or 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 the gro ...

clan A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, a clan may claim descent from a founding member or apical ancestor who serves as a symbol of the clan's unity. Many societie ...

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 Geoffrey Chaucer ( ; – 25 October 1400) was an English poet, author, and civil servant best known for '' The Canterbury Tales''. He has been called the "father of English literature", or, alternatively, the "father of English poetry". He ...

in " The Second Nun's Tale" are: lily of heaven, the way for the blind, contemplation of

heaven Heaven, or the Heavens, is a common Religious cosmology, religious cosmological or supernatural place where beings such as deity, deities, angels, souls, saints, or Veneration of the dead, venerated ancestors are said to originate, be throne, ...

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 *

Cecilia of Normandy Cecilia of Normandy (or Cecily; c. 1056 – 30 July 1126) was a French abbess, thought to be the eldest daughter of William the Conqueror and Matilda of Flanders. Life She was the sister of William II and Henry I of England. She was very cl ...

(died 1126), thought to be the daughter of William the Conqueror *

Cecilia (royal mistress) Cecilia (died after 1459) was a Danish lady-in-waiting at the court of Philippa of England, Queen Consort of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, and later the mistress and morganatic wife of Philippa’s widower King Eric. Biography The parenthood of Cec ...

(died after 1459), royal mistress and later morganatic wife of Eric of Pomerania, king of Denmark, Norway and Sweden * Princess Cecilia of Sweden (1540–1627) *

Princess Cecilia of Sweden (1807–1844) Cecilia of Sweden (22 June 1807 in Stockholm – 27 January 1844 in Oldenburg) was a composer, a Swedish princess by birth, and Grand Duchess of Oldenburg by marriage. She was the daughter of King Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden and Frederica of ...

Cecilia (Norwegian singer) Cecilia is a classical crossover singer, originally from Norway, who is known for her rendition of "Amazing Grace". She has released seven albums, two via Universal Music, and performed worldwide, selling several hundred thousand albums with virt ...

, Spanish singer-songwriter Evangelina Sobredo Galanes (born 1967) *

Cecilia Angmadlok Angutialuk Cecilia Angmadlok Angutialuk (born 1938) is a Canadian Inuk artist known for her stone sculpture. Angutialuk was born in Repulse Bay, Northwest Territories, (now Naujaat, Nunavut), where she continues to live. Her work is included in the collect ...

(born 1938), Canadian Inuk artist *

Cecilia Arizti Cecilia Arizti Sobrino (28 October 1856 – 30 June 1930) was a Cuban composer, pianist and music educator. Biography Cecilia Arizti was born in La Loma del Angel, Havana, the daughter of pianist Fernando Arizti and his wife Teresa Sobrino. Ariz ...

(1856-1930), Cuban composer, pianist and music educator. *

Cécilia Attias Cécilia María Sara Isabel Attias ( Ciganer-Albéniz, formerly Martin and Sarközy de Nagy-Bocsa; born 12 November 1957) was the second wife of French president Nicolas Sarkozy until October 2007. Background Cecilia Attias was born Cécilia M ...

(born 1957), former First Lady of France, ex-wife of President Nicolas Sarkozy *

Cecilia Bartoli Cecilia Bartoli Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, OMRI (; born 4 June 1966) is an Italian mezzo-soprano widely known in the music of Vincenzo Bellini, Bellini, George Frideric Handel, Handel, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Mozart, Gioachino Ross ...

(born 1966), Italian mezzo-soprano *

Cecilia Beaux Eliza Cecilia Beaux (May 1, 1855 – September 17, 1942) was an American artist and the first woman to teach art at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Known for her elegant and sensitive portraits of friends, relatives, and Gilded Age p ...

(1855–1942), American society portrait painter *

Cecilia Bolocco Cecilia Carolina Bolocco Fonck (born May 19, 1965) is a Chilean actress, TV host and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Universo Chile 1987 and Miss Universe 1987. Bolocco has worked as a journalist on the Spanish language editi ...

(born 1965), Chilean television entertainer, former Miss Universe 1987 and former wife of ex-Argentine president Carlos Menem *

Cecilia Bowes-Lyon, Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne Cecilia Nina Bowes-Lyon, Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne (''née'' Cavendish-Bentinck; 11 September 1862 – 23 June 1938) was the mother of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and maternal grandmother and godmother of Queen Elizabeth&nbs ...

(1862–1938), British aristocrat and grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II * Cecilia Calderón Prieto (born 1949), Ecuadorian economist * Cecilia LW Chan, Chinese social scientist *

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

(born 1980), Hong Kong singer and actress *

Cecilia Colledge Magdalena Cecilia Colledge (28 November 1920 – 12 April 2008) was a British figure skater. She was the 1936 Olympic silver medalist, the 1937 World Champion, the 1937–1939 European Champion, and a six-time (1935–1939, 1946) British ...

(1920–2008), British figure skater * Cecilia Curbelo (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 Univers ...

, Finnish composer * Cecilia Danieli (1943–1999), Italian entrepreneur and industrialist * Cecília Dassi (born 1989), Brazilian actress *

Cecilia Dazzi Cecilia Dazzi (born 17 October 1969) is an Italian actress, television personality and songwriter. Early life Born in Rome, she is the daughter of film producer Tommaso Dazzi. Career She made her film debut in 1987, in Ettore Scola's '' Th ...

(born 1969), Italian actress, television personality and songwriter * Cecilia D'Elia (born 1963), Italian politician * Cecilia Eusepi (1910–1928), Italian beatified Roman Catholic *

Cecilia Flores Armenta Cecilia Patricia Flores Armenta (born 1972 or 1973) is a Mexican Madres buscadoras, madre buscadora (an activist responding to high rates of Missing persons in Mexico, missing persons in Mexio) and the founder and leader of Madres Buscadoras de ...

, Mexican missing persons activist * Cecilia Gallerani (1473–1536), favourite and most celebrated mistress of Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan *

Cecilia Gasdia Cecilia Gasdia (; born 14 August 1960, Verona) is an Italian operatic soprano. Biography Gasdia studied music and piano at the Conservatorio di Verona, graduating in 1980. That same year she won the first prize in the "''New Voices for Opera''" ...

(born 1960), Italian soprano * Cecilia Gillie (1907–1996), English radio executive *

Cecilia Grierson Cecilia Grierson (22 November 1859 – 10 April 1934) was an Argentine physician, reformer, nurse educator, feminist and prominent Freethinker. She had the distinction of being the first woman to receive a Medical Degree in Argentina. Early l ...

(1859–1934), Argentine physician and activist * Cecilia Hart (1948–2016), American actress *

Cecilia Cacabelos Cecilia Inés Cacabelos De La Flor (25 November 1958; disappeared 11 October 1976) was an Argentine student kidnapped by security forces on 11 October 1976 during the country's last military dictatorship. Disappearance Cacabelos was detaine ...

(born 1958; disappeared 1976), Argentine student taken by Argentine security forces *

Cecilia Johansdotter of Sweden Cecilia Johansdotter (fl. 1193) is the possible name of the wife of King Knut Eriksson of Sweden and mother of King Erik Knutsson. Little is known about her except that she was of aristocratic origins and died sometime after 1193. Biography D ...

(), Queen Consort of King Canute I of Sweden * Cecilia Julin (born 1955), Swedish diplomat *

Cecilia Keaveney Cecilia Keaveney (born 27 November 1968) is an Irish former Fianna Fáil politician. She was a Teachta Dála (TD) and a Senator from 1996 to 2011. Early life She was born in Derry, Northern Ireland. She was educated at Carndonagh Community Sch ...

(born 1968), Irish politician * Cecília Malan (born 1983), Brazilian journalist *

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 ...

(born 1968), Swedish politician * Cecilia Mangini (1927–2021), Italian film director *

Cecilia Suyat Marshall Cecilia Suyat Marshall (July 20, 1928 – November 22, 2022) was an American civil rights activist and historian from Hawaii who was married to Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American U.S. Supreme Court Justice, from 1955 until his death i ...

(1928–2022), American civil rights activist and historian * Cecília Meireles (1901–1964), Brazilian writer, educator and poet *

Cecília Meireles (politician) Cecília Felgueiras de Meireles Graça (born 29 May 1977) is a Portuguese politician and lawyer, and a former member of the Assembly of the Republic of Portugal, representing the Christian democratic CDS – People's Party (CDS-PP) for the Porto ...

(born 1977), Portuguese politician and lawyer * Cecilia Moens, Canadian developmental biologist * Cecilia Morel (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 Dire ...

(born 1962), Director of Intergovernmental Affairs at the White House *

Cecilia Noël Cecilia Noël is a Peruvian-born Latin music artist,Enrique Lopetegui,Cecilia Noel and Wild Clams: Pearl About to Be Discovered, ''Los Angeles Times'', February 09, 1994.Carlos Von Son,L.A. fusion group to play first SD show, ''North County Time ...

(), Peruvian-born Latin music artist *

Cecilia Nilsson (actress) Birgitta Maria Cecilia Nilsson (born 15 July 1957) is a Sweden, Swedish actor, actress. She has appeared at many theatres. She is married to Krister Henriksson. Nilsson started acting in theatre aged six at ''Vår teater'' at Medborgarplatsen in ...

(born 1957), Swedish actress *

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 (), is the second largest city of the ...

(born 1979), Swedish retired hammer thrower * Cecilia Nilsson (orienteer) (born 1966), Swedish orienteering competitor * Cecilia Pantoja (1943–2023), better known as Cecilia, Chilean singer songwriter *

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

(1914–1993), Canadian actress *

Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin (born Cecilia Helena Payne; – ) was a British-born American astronomer and astrophysicist. Her work on the cosmic makeup of the universe and the nature of variable stars was foundational to modern astrophysics. She ...

(1900–1979), English-American astronomer *

Cecilia Peters Cecelia Peters, known professionally as Cece Peters, is an Australian television and theatre actress. Her career began with playing Tiger Johnson on the Nine Network children's series '' Snake Tales''. She later joined the cast of the Network Te ...

, Australian actor * Cecilia Requena (born 1967), Bolivian politician * Cecilia Rich, American politician * Cecilia Soria (born 1991), Argentine politician * Cecilia Strzyzowksi (1994–2023), Argentine murder victim *

Cecilia Suárez María Cecilia Suárez de Garay (; born 22 November 1971) is a Mexican actress and activist working with the United Nations and European Union campaigning against femicide and violence against women. She has starred in film, television, and the ...

(born 1971), Mexican actress *

Cecilia Tan Cecilia Tan is an American writer, editor, sexuality activist, and founder and manager of Circlet Press, which specializes in science fiction erotica, a once uncommon genre; its publications often feature BDSM themes. She lives in Cambridge, M ...

(born 1967), American writer *

Cecilia Young Cecilia Young (also Cecilia Arne) (January 1712 – 6 October 1789) was one of the greatest English sopranos of the eighteenth century, the wife of composer Thomas Arne, and the mother of composer Michael Arne. According to the music historian C ...

(1712–1789), English soprano *

Cecilia Heyes Cecilia Heyes (born 6 March 1960) is a British psychologist who studies the evolution of the human mind. She is a Senior Research Fellow in Theoretical Life Sciences at All Souls College, and a Professor of Psychology at the University of Oxford ...

, British psychologist

Fictional characters

Cecilia Reyes Cecilia Reyes is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Scott Lobdell and Carlos Pacheco, the character first appeared in ''X-Men'' (vol. 2) #65 (June 1997). She belongs to the subspecies o ...

, a fictional character in

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...

References

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

History

People

Fictional characters

See also

References