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Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources
☙

Cecilia f. Latin Caecilia, the feminine form of a Roman gensname which may derive from Latin caecus 'blind'.

The name of an enormously popular medieval saint, the patron saint of music, one of eight women commenmorated by name in the Canon of the Mass.

Brabant
Latin
● 1312 Cecilia (nom) JeanIII p. 28
England
Latin
● 1185x1186 Cecilia (nom) PR-XXXVI p. 18; 1189 Cecilia (nom) GASurv p. 178; 1222 Cecilia (nom) StPaulDom p. 4, Sicilia (nom) ibid. p. 45; 1240 Cecilia (nom) ibid. p. 119; 1279–80 Cecilia (nom) WaHR-SK p. 36, Cecilie (gen) ibid. p. 27; 1296 Cecilia (nom) RCS-1 p. 95a, Cecilie (gen) ibid. p. 95a; 1319 Cecilia (nom) PSS-CXIV 5a, Ceciliam (acc) ibid. 5b, Cecilie (gen) ibid. 5a; 1340xc1450 Cecilia (nom) CovGuild-1 p. 6, Cecilicia (nom) ibid. p. 36, Cesilia (nom) ibid. p. 66, Cicilia (nom) ibid. p. 40; 1377 Cecilia (nom) FenPT-2 p. 4; 1381 Ceceli (nom) ibid. p. 10, Cecilia (nom) ibid. p. 9, Suffolk1381 p. 69, Cicilla (nom) FenPT-2 p. 6, Cissilia (nom) Suffolk1381 p. 73; 1408 Cecilia (nom) GCCYork p.12; 1431 Ceciliæ (dat) WillsInv æ; 1440 Ciciliæ (dat) ibid. LI; 1555 Cecilia (nom) StMartF p. 58; 1559 Cecilia (nom) ibid. p. 59; 1560 Cecilia (nom) ibid. p. 60
Middle English
● 1424–25 Cecile EEW p. 56; 1425 Cecile ibid. p. 63; 1426 Cisily ibid. p. 70; 1436 Cicile ibid. p. 106
Early Modern English
● 1530 Cecile LIWill-III p. 31, Cecill ibid. p. 79, Cecily ibid. p. 57, Secily ibid. p. 10; 1540 Syslyth BarnstapleBap p. 1; 1543 Cisley StAnthonlin p. 4; 1544 Syslyeth BarnstapleBap p. 4; 1545 Ciseley BEmar-vol1 p. 3; 1546 Syslyth BarnstapleBap p. 5; 1548 Sisly StAnthonlin p. 6; 1549 Cyseley BEmar-vol1 p. 3, Sisly StAnthonlin p. 8; 1555 Syslyth BarnstapleBap p. 9; 1559 Ciceli bruton-vol1 p. 30, Cicelie ibid. p. 30; 1560 Cicyly SaxhamSf p. 56; 1562 Sisley StAnthonlin p. 14; 1569 Cicely BEmar-vol2 p. 95; 1570 Cicely bruton-vol1 p. 5; 1571 Cicely BUmar-vol9 p. 5; 1578 Sisley OrpingtonKe p. 5; 1579 Sisley ibid. p. 5; 1580 Cicelie bruton-vol1 p. 44; 1581? Sisilye COmar-vol5 p. 127; 1584 Sisly DEmar-vol2 p. 10; 1585/6 Cislie BEmar-vol1 p. 12; 1586 Sisly DEmar-vol2 p. 12; 1588 Sessellye Bar-in-El p. 14; 1589 Sisily COmar-vol5 p. 128, Sisley WAmar-1 p. 132; 1590 Sisly DEmar-vol2 p. 22, StAnthonlin p. 34; 1591 Cysly ibid. p. 35; 1592 Cicely BUmar-vol9 p. 8; 1595 Cicelie bruton-vol1 p. 54, Sysle BUmar-vol1 p. 27; 1596 Cicely DEmar-vol2 p. 34, Cislye HAmar-vol9 p. 3, Sicelea BUmar-vol2 p. 66; 1597 Cicelie bruton-vol1 p. 11, Sisley DEmar-vol2 p. 36; 1598 Cicely BUmar-vol9 p. 10, Sisley COmar-vol2 p. 50, Sisly DEmar-vol2 p. 39, Sislye ibid. p. 37; 1599 Cicilie bruton-vol1 p. 57, Seccely BEmar-vol2 p. 4
◑ 1563 Ciceletam BUmar-vol2 p. 60; 1569 Cicelet ibid. p. 61
France
Latin
● 1180 Cecilie (gen) RotScaNor p. 3
Middle French
● 1564 Cécille RegPCC-1 p. 65; 1565 Cecille ibid. p. 171; 1566 Cicile ibid. p. 267
Italy
Latin
● 1348 Cecilia (nom) INP 26; 1527 Cicilia (nom) Rome1527 p. 88
Spain
Catalan
● 1510 Sicilia valencia1510 3214
Sweden
Latin
● 1350 Cecilie (dat) SDHK no. 6037
Early Modern Swedish
● 1543 Cicell (nom) Audén1980 p. 162
Switzerland
Latin
● 14thCx1478 Cicillia (nom) Ob-SPVn (54)
Wales
Early Modern English
● 1571 Cissill RegLlantrithyd p. 61; 1577 Cissill ibid. p. 61; 1591 Cissill ibid. p. 35; 1592 Cissill ibid. p. 34; 1594 Cissill ibid. p. 62; 1597 Cissill ibid. p. 1; 1598 Cissill ibid. p. 1; 1599 Cissill ibid. p. 1
Cite as: R. Le Get, N. Shiel, J. Uckelman, S.L. Uckelman. "Cecilia". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2016, no. 3. http://dmnes.org/2016/3/name/Cecilia.