Cicely

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

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

Cecilia (royal mistress) (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 (Norwegian singer), Spanish singer-songwriter Evangelina Sobredo Galanes (born 1967)

Cecilia Angmadlok Angutialuk (born 1938), Canadian Inuk artist

Cecilia Arizti (1856–1930), Cuban composer, pianist and music educator.

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, Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne (1862–1938), British aristocrat and grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II

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

Cecilia Calderón Prieto (born 1949), Ecuadorian economist

Cecilia Chacón Castillo, Ecuadorian politician

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 Cuțescu-Storck (1879–1969), Romanian painter

Cecilia Dalman Eek (born 1960), Swedish politician

Cecilia Damström (born 1988), 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 Eguiluz (born 1974), Uruguayan lawyer and politician

Cecilia Engström (born 1972), Swedish politician

Cecilia Eusepi (1910–1928), Italian beatified Roman Catholic

Cecilia Flores Armenta, Mexican missing persons activist

Cecilia Gallerani (1473–1536), favourite and most celebrated mistress of Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan

Cecilia Gasdia (born 1960), Italian soprano

Cecilia Gentili (1972–2024), Activist and Artist

Cecilia Gillie (1907–1996), English radio executive

Cecilia Grierson (1859–1934), Argentine physician and activist

Cecilia Hart (1948–2016), American actress

Cecilia Heyes (born 1960), British psychologist

Cécilia Hornus (born 1963), French actress

Cecilia Immergreen, German VTuber

Cecilia Johansdotter of Sweden (fl. 1193), Queen Consort of King Canute I of Sweden

Cecilia Julin (born 1955), Swedish diplomat

Cecilia Keaveney (born 1968), Irish politician

Cecilia Knutsdatter (1081/85 – aft. 1131), Danish princess

Cecilia Loftus (1876–1943), Scottish actress, vaudevillian, and music hall performer

Cecilia de Madrazo (1846–1932), Spanish textiles collector

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 del Nacimiento (1570–1646), Spanish writer

Cecilia Noël (fl. 1990s–2020s), Peruvian-born Latin music artist

Cecilia Nilsson (actress) (born 1957), Swedish actress

Cecilia Nilsson (athlete) (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 (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 Santacroce (born 1990), Italian archer

Cecilia Soria (born c. 1991), Argentine politician

Cecilia Strzyzowksi (1994–2023), Argentine murder victim

Cecilia Suárez (born 1971), Mexican actress

Cecilia Tait (born 1962), Peruvian volleyball player and politician

Cecilia Tan (born 1967), American writer

Cecilia Törn (born 1994), Finnish ice dancer

Cecilia Tshabalala, South African educator, women's rights activist, clubwoman and writer

Cecilia Young (1712–1789), English soprano

Cecilia Zandalasini (born 1996), Italian basketball player

Fictional characters

Celia Mae, character in Monsters, Inc.

Cecilia Nuthatch, a character in We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story

Cecilia Reyes, a character in Marvel Comics

Cecilia, one of the characters in the indie video game Jackpot Crash Course