Names That Mean Blind

Cecilia is a lovely classic name deservedly enjoying a new turn in the sun. Always among the Top 500 girls' names in the US, Cecilia is now at its highest point ever.

Cecily is as dainty as a lace handkerchief. Cecily has a wide assortment of namesakes. One Cecily was the mother of King Richard III, whose beauty gained her the title "the Rose of Raby," Cecily Parsley is a Beatrix Potter bunny, Cecily Cardew is a character in The Importance of Being Earnest, and the author of the Gossip Girl books is Cecily von Ziegesar.

Once a powerful Roman clan name, Cecil has lost much of its potency over the years, though it retains a strong presence in the sports and jazz worlds. Past bearers include film giant Cecil B. DeMille, poet Cecil Day Lewis, father of Daniel, and photographer Cecil Beaton. Fictional Cecils appear in Oscar Wilde's play, Lady Windemere's Fan, E. M. Foster's A Room With a View and the film Lee Daniel's The Butler.

Cecelia, with this spelling, got some recent attention as the name of Jim and Pam's baby on The Office -- and also the name of actress Jenna Fischer's newborn niece. A spelling variation of Cecilia that has a gently old-fashioned feel and several appealing short forms, including Celia, Celie, and, as on the TV show, Cece. Three times as many babies are given the Cecilia spelling as get the Cecelia one, though if you plan on calling your daughter Cece or Celia, Cecelia may feel like the more logical spelling.

Sheila peaked in popularity from the 1930s to the 1960s (she reached Number 49 in 1965), along with Maureen and Colleen; parents today would probably go back to the original Cecilia or forward to Shea.

Cece, all by itself, gained notice as the nickname of Jim and Pam's baby on television's The Office. On the show as in real life, Cece is often short for Cecelia or even Cecilia, but it can also be a short form of just about any C name. Cece -- or, less elegantly, CeCe -- can also be a stylish nickname name used all by itself, ala Coco and Lulu. If you really love girl names starting with C, this is one way to express your devotion every time you say your daughter's name!

Cecile is a fairly common French saint's name, scattered throughout classic French literature--in Les Liaisons Dangereuses, in Balzac's Cousin Pons, and Zola's Germinal.

Also spelled Zilke, Silke is a common short form for variations of Cecilia and Celia found in Germany.

This frilly Victorian name is a variant of Cecilia and Cecily, with which it might well be confused. Cicely was a surprise choice for comedienne Sandra Bernhard.

Attractive, underused name made famous by the heroine of The Color Purple. Still, if you're going to go to Celie, why not go all the way to Celia or Cecelia? You can always use Celie for short.

Cecilio is derived from Caecilius, an Ancient Roman surname that was likely originally bestowed upon someone who was blind.

Variant of Cecilia used in several European countries, which could also make for a pretty variant spelling of the medieval English version, Cecily.

With the growing popularity of Celia and Cecilia, this vintage canasta-playing nickname name could be due for a comeback.

The ancient Roman name that gave us Cecilia, Cecily, and related names. This spelling looks authentic, but might raise more pronunciation problems than it solves.

The Irish Gaelic form of Cecilia, which is the origin of the Anglicized version Sheila, which subsequently became very popular across the English-speaking world.

Norwegian variant form of Cecilia

Along with the more common Silke, a diminutive used in Germany for Cecilia and Celia. Both Silke and Zilke are unknown yet usable German names for girls.

Variant spelling of Sheila, which derives from Síle, an Irish form of Cecilia. The -gh ending has been added to give a more Irish flair, although this isn't a traditional Irish spelling.

A medieval spelling of Cecily/Cicely, which itself derives from Latin Caecilia. Alfred Sisley was a British Impressionist landscape painter.