UK girl's name
Cecylia
A feminine name of Latin origin meaning "blind" or "dim-sighted".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2022. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Cecylia is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Cecylia popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2022 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5669, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2018, with 7 births.
This profile covers 27 England and Wales registrations across 7 recorded years from 2011 to 2022. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 43% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 27 living people in the UK are called Cecylia. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2023 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Cecylia ranked #5669 for girls in England and Wales in 2022, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2018, when 7 girls were registered as Cecylia.
- • About 27 living people in the UK are estimated to have Cecylia as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5669
2022
Births in 2022
3
Latest year
Peak year
2018
7 births
Estimated living
27
2026
Meaning
What does Cecylia mean?
Cecylia is a feminine given name derived from the Roman family name Caecilius, which is a derivative of the Latin word "caecus" meaning "blind." The name has its origins in ancient Roman culture and can be traced back to the early centuries of the Common Era.
The name Cecylia is closely associated with Saint Cecilia, a renowned Christian martyr and patron saint of music. According to legend, Cecilia was a young Roman noblewoman who lived in the 3rd century and dedicated her life to Christianity. Despite being forced into a marriage against her will, she remained devoted to her faith and was eventually martyred for her beliefs.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cecylia can be found in the 5th-century text "Passio Sanctae Caeciliae" (The Passion of Saint Cecilia), which recounts the life and martyrdom of Saint Cecilia. This text played a significant role in popularizing the name among early Christians.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Cecylia or its variants. One of the most famous was Cecylia Renata of Austria (1611-1644), the Queen consort of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania. Another notable figure was Cecylia Klementyna Sanguszko (1718-1786), a Polish noblewoman and patron of the arts, who was known for her influential salon in Warsaw.
In the field of music, Cecylia Arne (1711-1789) was an English singer and composer, best known for her operatic roles and her collaboration with her father, the composer Thomas Arne. Cecylia Lewandowska (1795-1840) was a Polish opera singer and one of the first female students at the Royal Theater School in Warsaw.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Cecylia Śniegocka (1920-1940), a Polish Roman Catholic nun and member of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Resurrection. She was executed by the Nazis during World War II for her involvement in the Polish resistance movement and is considered a martyr by the Catholic Church.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the name Cecylia throughout history, spanning various cultures, time periods, and fields of endeavor.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Cecylia over time
The chart below shows babies named Cecylia registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2011 to 2022. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Cecylia, the clearest high point is 2018. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2022, compared with 7 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Cecylia by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Cecylia was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #5669 | 3 | 1 |
| 2010s | #5047 | 24 | 6 |
Related
Names similar to Cecylia
- Chloe 111,265
- Charlotte 88,733
- Caitlin 28,931
- Courtney 23,162
- Chelsea 13,049
- Clara 9,435
- Connie 8,402
- Catherine 8,376
- Charlie 7,964
- Cerys 7,506
- Casey 7,018
- Cara 6,375
FAQ
Cecylia: questions and answers
How popular is the name Cecylia in the UK right now?
In 2022, Cecylia was ranked #5669 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Cecylia most popular?
The peak year on record was 2018, with 7 babies registered as Cecylia in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Cecylia?
A feminine name of Latin origin meaning "blind" or "dim-sighted".
How many people are called Cecylia in the UK?
A total of 27 babies have been registered as Cecylia across the 7 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.