Cecelia
Girl name · #529 in 2025 · Uniqueness 52/100
Cecelia is currently the #529 girl name in the United States — 569 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #544, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 3,163 girls born in 2025 was named Cecelia.
The 145-year story
Cecelia first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 47 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1918, when 935 girls were named Cecelia — good for #204 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Cecelia per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Cecelia against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Cecelia in class?
Cecelia scores 52 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Cecelia is most common
Geography matters for names, and Cecelia is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Cecelias were OH (45), PA (39), MA (32), NY (32), MI (26). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Cecelia
Statistically, parents drawn to Cecelia tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Celia, Estella, Carmella, Leona, and Flora.
CeliaEstellaCarmellaLeonaFloraCarmelaBeatriceDella
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Cecelia | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 569 | #529 |
| 2024 | 530 | #570 |
| 2023 | 617 | #497 |
| 2022 | 599 | #519 |
| 2021 | 548 | #560 |
| 2020 | 511 | #572 |
| 2019 | 557 | #545 |
| 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 | #760 |
| 2007 | 367 | #784 |
| 2006 | 423 | #673 |
| 2005 | 420 | #659 |
| 2004 | 386 | #697 |
| 2003 | 341 | #745 |
| 2002 | 328 | #740 |
| 2001 | 313 | #763 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Cecelia a popular girl name?
Cecelia ranked #529 among girls in 2025 with 569 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #544.
When was the name Cecelia most popular?
Cecelia peaked in 1918, when 935 American girls received the name (ranked #204 that year). Since 1918 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Cecelia?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 3,163 newborn American girls was named Cecelia. It scores 52/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.