girls' name · peaked 1918

Cecelia

A female given name from Latin, variant of Cecilia.

Every Cecelia since 1880 — 60,530 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex — comparable across eras
0.380.751.131.518801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys
Rank 2025
#529
among girls
Babies in 2025
569
named Cecelia
Peak year
1918
935 babies
All-time total
60,530
since 1880

The story of Cecelia

Cecelia is uncommon for girls in the United States, ranked #529 in 2025 with 569 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 60,530 American babies have been named Cecelia. Its peak came in 1918, when 935 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1910s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Cecelia stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

Cecelia year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 569 #529
2024 530 #571
2023 617 #497
2022 599 #519
2021 548 #561
2020 511 #573
2019 557 #546
2018 512 #594
2017 585 #529
2016 579 #537
2015 572 #544
2014 535 #571
2013 535 #552
2012 484 #596
2011 434 #656
2010 377 #739
2009 393 #737
2008 387 #761
2007 367 #785
2006 423 #673
2005 420 #660
2004 386 #697
2003 341 #746
2002 328 #740
2001 313 #763
2000 296 #771
1995 248 #800
1990 231 #849
1985 180 #886
1980 161 #928
1975 167 #818
1970 309 #575
1965 330 #526
1960 559 #406
1955 655 #332
1950 768 #277
1945 628 #275
1940 567 #261
1935 409 #301
1930 526 #286
1925 721 #247
1920 890 #217
1915 821 #200
1910 335 #196
1905 293 #175
1900 264 #195
1895 163 #213
1890 130 #211
1885 84 #215
1880 47 #226

Famous people named Cecelia

  1. Cecelia Ahern Writer · b. 1981

Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

Frequently asked questions

What does the name Cecelia mean?

A female given name from Latin, variant of Cecilia.

How popular is the name Cecelia in 2025?

Cecelia ranked #529 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 569 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Cecelia?

60,530 babies have been named Cecelia in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Cecelia most popular?

Cecelia peaked in 1918, when 935 newborns received the name.

Is Cecelia a boy or girl name?

Cecelia is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Cecelia rising or falling?

Cecelia is on the rise — noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Who are famous people named Cecelia?

Well-known people named Cecelia include Cecelia Ahern (writer).

Names like Cecelia

Compare Cecelia with similar names →