2-576: Cecilia is a personal name originating in the name of Saint Cecilia , the patron saint of music. 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
4-563: 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,
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