Cecily Girl

Popularity: #811 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: SEH-sih-lee //ˈsɛsɪli//

Origin: Latin; Old French

Meaning: Latin: blind; Old French: sixth

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Cecily has its roots in the Latin name Caecilia, which is derived from the Latin word 'caecus,' meaning 'blind.' The name was popularized in the early Christian era, particularly through Saint Cecilia, a Roman martyr and the patroness of musicians, who is believed to have lived in the 2nd or 3rd century. The name Caecilia was adopted into Old French as Cecile, which eventually evolved into the English form Cecily during the Middle Ages.

The transition into English was facilitated by the Norman Conquest in the 11th century, which brought many Latin-derived names into the English lexicon. Historically, the name Cecily has been borne by several notable figures, including Saint Cecilia, whose feast day is celebrated on November 22.

The name gained further prominence in medieval England, where it was associated with nobility and was used by various saints and members of the aristocracy. The name appears in Geoffrey Chaucer's works from the 14th century, indicating its presence in literary contexts during that time.

Additionally, the name was included in the 1611 King James Bible, which helped to solidify its place in Christian tradition. Cecily carries connotations of purity and virtue, largely due to its association with Saint Cecilia and her legacy in music and the arts.

The name has been embraced in various cultural contexts, often symbolizing grace and devotion. Diminutive forms such as Cece or Cissy have also emerged, reflecting affectionate or familiar usages throughout history.

Overall, Cecily embodies a rich historical and cultural significance, rooted in its etymological origins and the enduring legacy of its early bearers.

Famous people named Cecily

In this section, you will find notable people named Cecily. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Cecily who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Cecily who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Cecily Strong is an actress and comedian best known for Saturday Night Live, The Female Brain, and Ghostbusters: Afterlife.

Cecily von Ziegesar is an author best known for the Gossip Girl series and the It Girl series.

Fictional characters named Cecily

The following list of fictional characters named Cecily is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Cecily Cardew is a fictional character from the play The Importance of Being Earnest. She is a young woman who becomes romantically involved with the protagonist, Algernon Moncrieff.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Cecily, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

CeliaClaraSophieJulietAmeliaLydiaIsabel

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Cecily. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

CeciliaSelinaSabrinaSylviaCecileCeliaSeraphinaCassandra

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Cecily was first seen in the United States in 1911.

Cecily has ranked as high as #936 nationally, which occurred in 1989, and has been most popular in California, Texas, New York, Illinois, and Pennsylvania.

In the past 5 years the name Cecily has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Cecily is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Cecily was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Cecily.

Year Total Births Girl
2025 137 137
2024 131 131
2023 111 111
2022 131 131
2021 127 127
2020 131 131
2019 161 161
2018 141 141
2017 191 191
2016 196 196
2015 214 214
2014 244 244
2013 170 170
2012 114 114
2011 104 104
2010 98 98
2009 109 109
2008 112 112
2007 99 99
2006 119 119
2005 101 101
2004 88 88
2003 100 100
2002 87 87
2001 98 98
2000 96 96
1999 108 108
1998 112 112
1997 127 127
1996 132 132
1995 143 143
1994 117 117
1993 117 117
1992 134 134
1991 189 189
1990 403 403
1989 472 472
1988 236 236
1987 150 150
1986 49 49
1985 62 62
1984 58 58
1983 58 58
1982 57 57
1981 73 73
1980 73 73
1979 86 86
1978 96 96
1977 94 94
1976 81 81
1975 110 110
1974 130 130
1973 114 114
1972 55 55
1971 55 55
1970 61 61
1969 55 55
1968 32 32
1967 40 40
1966 44 44
1965 41 41
1964 38 38
1963 37 37
1962 36 36
1961 55 55
1960 47 47
1959 66 66
1958 41 41
1957 53 53
1956 43 43
1955 50 50
1954 51 51
1953 50 50
1952 52 52
1951 35 35
1950 42 42
1949 47 47
1948 36 36
1947 30 30
1946 35 35
1945 28 28
1944 26 26
1943 21 21
1942 41 41
1941 11 11
1940 12 12
1939 22 22
1938 20 20
1937 17 17
1936 25 25
1935 17 17
1934 17 17
1933 11 11
1932 14 14
1931 11 11
1930 14 14
1929 10 10
1928 11 11
1927 17 17
1926 13 13
1925 9 9
1924 14 14
1923 12 12
1922 13 13
1921 7 7
1920 11 11
1919 11 11
1917 10 10
1916 5 5
1911 5 5

Top States for Cecily (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
FL 9
12%
CA 8
11%
NY 7
9%
TX 7
9%
MI 7
9%
VA 6
8%
IL 6
8%
OH 5
7%
CO 5
7%
WI 5
7%
MA 5
7%
NC 5
7%