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Cecilia

Girl name · 127 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Cecilia: 127 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to girls, peaking at 10 births in 2023.

From the Latin *caecus* meaning "blind," Cecilia originated as a feminine form of the Roman family name Caecilius, linked to the legendary Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of music whose feast day is celebrated on November 22. Notable bearers include the groundbreaking astrophysicist Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, who first proposed that stars are made mostly of hydrogen and helium, and the celebrated Italian mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli. The name shares its root with the Caecilia gens of ancient Rome, but has no major place connections directly tied to a bearer. In Scotland, Cecilia has been a steady classic since records began, with the shorter forms Celia and Cecily as popular variants; it also inspired the 1970 Simon & Garfunkel hit "Cecilia," though that song's meaning is unrelated to the saint.