Cecilia

Cecilia is a personal name originating in the name of Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of music.
History
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 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 clan of the Caecilii. Legends and hagiographies, mistaking it for a personal name, suggest fanciful etymologies. Among those cited by Chaucer in "The Second Nun's Tale" are: lily of heaven, the way for the blind, contemplation of heaven and the active life, as if lacking in blindness, and a heaven for people to gaze upon.
People
Saint Cecilia, 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)
Cecilia Angmadlok Angutialuk (born 1938), Canadian Inuk artist
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 (born 1980), Hong Kong singer and actress
Cecilia Colledge (1920–2008), British figure skater
Cecilia Curbelo (born 1975), Uruguayan writer
Cecilia Dalman Eek (born 1960), Swedish politician
Cecilia Damström, Finnish composer
Cecilia Danieli (1943–1999), Italian entrepreneur and industrialist
Cecília Dassi (born 1989), Brazilian actress
Cecilia Dazzi (born 1969), Italian actress, television personality and songwriter
Cecilia D'Elia (born 1963), Italian politician
Cecilia Eusepi (1910–1928), Italian beatified Roman Catholic
Cecilia Gallerani (1473–1536), favourite and most celebrated mistress of Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan
Cecilia Gasdia (born 1960), Italian soprano
Cecilia Gillie (1907–1996), English radio executive
Cecilia Grierson (1859–1934), Argentine physician and activist
Cecilia Inés Cacabelos (born 25 November 1958; disappeared 11 October 1976), Argentine student forcibly disappeared
Cecilia Johansdotter of Sweden (fl. 1193), Queen Consort of King Canute I of Sweden
Cecilia Keaveney (born 1968), Irish politician
Cecília Malan (born 1983), Brazilian journalist
Cecilia Malmström (born 1968), Swedish politician
Cecilia Mangini (1927–2021), Italian film director
Cecilia Suyat Marshall (1928–2022), American civil rights activist and historian
Cecília Meireles (1901–1964), Brazilian writer, educator and poet
Cecília Meireles (politician) (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 (born 1962), Director of Intergovernmental Affairs at the White House
Cecilia Noël (fl. 1990s–2020s), Peruvian-born Latin music artist
Cecilia Nilsson (athlete) (born 1979), Swedish hammer thrower
Cecilia Pantoja (born 1943), better known as Cecilia, Chilean singer songwriter
Cecilia Parker (1914–1993), Canadian actress
Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin (1900–1979), English-American astronomer
Cecilia Peters, Australian actor
Cecilia Requena (born 1967), Bolivian politician
Cecilia Rich, American politician
Cecilia Suárez (born 1971), Mexican actress
Cecilia Tan (born 1967), American writer
Cecilia Young (1712–1789), English soprano
See also
Cecelia, a variation of this name
Celia (given name)
Cissy (disambiguation)
Orpheus
References
Italian feminine given names
Feminine given names
English feminine given names
Latin feminine given names