CELIA
Gender: Feminine
Usage:
English,
Spanish,
ItalianPronounced: SEEL-yə (English), SEE-lee-ə (English), THE-lyah (Spanish), SE-lyah (Latin American Spanish), CHE-lyah (Italian)
[key]Feminine form of the Roman family name
CAELIUS. It was used by
Shakespeare in his play 'As You Like It' (1599), which introduced the name to the English-speaking world. It is sometimes used as a short form of
CECILIAMAGDALENE
Gender: Feminine
Usage:
German,
Danish,
English,
Biblical,
Biblical Greek,
Biblical LatinOther Scripts:
Μαγδαληνη (Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: mahk-dah-LE-nə (German), MAG-də-lən (English), MAG-də-leen (English)
[key]From a title which meant "of Magdala". Mary Magdalene, a character in the
New Testament, was named thus because she was from Magdala - a village on the sea of Galilee whose name meant "tower" in Hebrew. She was cleaned of evil spirits by Jesus and then remained with him during his ministry, witnessing the crucifixion and the resurrection. She was a popular
saint in the Middle Ages, and the name became common then. In England it is traditionally rendered Madeline, while Magdalene or Magdalen is the learned form.
