Cecilia \ce-ci-lia\ as a girl's name is pronounced sess-SEEL-yah. It is of Latin and Old Welsh origin, and the meaning of Cecilia is "blind; sixth". The name came from the Welsh name Seissylt meaning "sixth". It was later used as an English form of Latin name Caecilia, feminine of Caecilius (see Cecil). The feminine form is more popular than the male form because of the blind Saint Cecilia (second or third century) virgin martyr known as the patron saint of music. The name became common among Christians during the Middle Ages when it was brought by the Normans to England, where it was commonly spelled Cecily. The Latinate form Cecilia came into use in the 18th century. Cecil Rhodes was an industrialist and founder of Rhodesia. Soprano Cecilia Bartoli.

Cecilia has 89 variant forms: C'Ceal, Cacelia, Ceceilia, Ceceley, Ceceli, Cecelia, Cecely, Cecelyn, Cecette, Ceciel, Cecil, Cecila, Cecile, Cecilea, Cecilee, Ceciley, Ceciliane, Cecilie, Cecilija, Cecilla, Cecille, Cecillia, Cecily, Ceclia, Cecilyann, Cecyl, Cecyle, Cecylia, Cee, Ceil, Ceila, Ceilagh, Ceileh, Ceileigh, Ceilena, Ceilia, Cela, Cele, Celia, Celie, Celli, Cellie, Cescelie, Cescily, Cesia, Cesilie, Cesya, Cicelie, Cicely, Cici, Cicilia, Cicilie, Cicily, Cile, Cili, Cilka, Cilia, Cilla, Cilly, Cissie, Kekilia, Kikelia, Kikylia, Sacilia, Sasilia, Sasilie, Secelia, Seelia, Seelie, Seely, Selia, Sesilia, Sessaley, Sesseelya, Sessile, Sessilly, Sessily, Sheila, Sile, Sileas, Silke, Sisely, Siselya, Siseel, Sisile, Sisiliya, Sissela, Sissie and Sissy.

For more information, see also related names Silja and Zelia.

Baby names that sound like Cecilia are Sicilia, Sicili and Sicillia.