Girl · #12,429 in 2026

Ceilidh

A cèilidh or céilí is a traditional Scottish and Irish social gathering. In its most basic form, it simply means a social visit. In contemporary usage, it usually involves dancing and playing Gaelic folk music, either at a home or a larger concert at a social hall or other community gathering place.

Current Rank
#12,429
Peak Rank
#7,716 (1999)
Total Babies
107
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1989
First Year
2009
Last Year
1999
Peak Year
#7716
Peak Rank
107
Total Count
14
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Ceilidh

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

A cèilidh or céilí is a traditional Scottish and Irish social gathering. In its most basic form, it simply means a social visit. In contemporary usage, it usually involves dancing and playing Gaelic folk music, either at a home or a larger concert at a social hall or other community gathering place.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology
The term is derived from the Old Irish céle (singular) meaning 'companion'. It later became céilidh and céilidhe , which means 'visit' in Gaelic . In Scottish Gaelic reformed spelling it is spelt cèilidh (plural cèilidhean ) and in Irish reformed spelling as céilí (plural céilithe ).
Origin & history
Originally, a cèilidh was a social gathering of any sort, and did not necessarily involve dancing: {{cite web|url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/cg1/cg1002.htm|title=Carmina Gadelica Vol. 1: Introduction|website=sacred-texts.com}}</ref>\n"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwWw">.mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 32px}.mw-parser-output .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;margin-top:0}@media(min-width:500px){.mw-parser-output .templatequotecite{padding-left:1.6em}} The 'ceilidh' is a literary entertainment where stories and tales, poems and ballads, ar

The Story of Ceilidh

Ceilidh first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1989, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1999, when 12 Ceilidhs were born — ranking #7,716 that year. As of 2026, Ceilidh ranks #12,429 for baby girls with 8 births, with steady use. In total, more than 107 Ceilidhs have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
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Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Ceilidh

Phonetically similar names — useful when Ceilidh is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

  • Solide
  • Solid
  • Salad
  • Sealed
  • Slid
  • Sullied
  • Salud
  • Salade
  • Seeled
  • Sallet
  • Sallied
  • Sallowed

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Ceilidh

What does the name Ceilidh mean?
A cèilidh or céilí is a traditional Scottish and Irish social gathering. In its most basic form, it simply means a social visit. In contemporary usage, it usually involves dancing and playing Gaelic folk music, either at a home or a larger concert at a social hall or other community gathering place.
How popular is Ceilidh in 2026?
In 2026, Ceilidh ranks #12,429 among girls' names in the U.S., with 8 babies given the name that year.
When was Ceilidh most popular?
Ceilidh reached its peak popularity in 1999, ranking #7,716 that year with 12 babies given the name.
Is Ceilidh a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Ceilidh is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Ceilidh?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Ceilidh include Lauryl, Tae, Raymie. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

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Lauryl
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Tae
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Raymie
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Bren
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Truc
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Mohogany
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Navpreet
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Danniela
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About the name Ceilidh

Ceilidh is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1989 and has accumulated 107 births in the dataset. Ceilidh's peak popularity came in 1999 when it ranked #7,716. Use the chart and map above to compare Ceilidh's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.