Girl · #15,152 in 2026

Cilia

Name: Popularity of the name Cilia in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Cilia, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

The cilium is a short hair-like membrane protrusion from many types of eukaryotic cell. The cilium has the shape of a slender threadlike projection that extends from the surface of the much larger cell body.

Current Rank

#15,152

Peak Rank

#3,874 (1984)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1969

First Year

2006

Last Year

1984

Peak Year

#3874

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Cilia

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

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

The Story of Cilia

Cilia first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1969, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1984, when 20 Cilias were born — ranking #3,874 that year. As of 2026, Cilia ranks #15,152 for baby girls with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 48 Cilias have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Cilia

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

Solea
Sileo
Silva
Sylva
Silly
Sylvia
Silvia
Sillier
Scylla
Cilla
Silla
Scilla

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Cilia

What does the name Cilia mean?

How popular is Cilia in 2026?

In 2026, Cilia ranks #15,152 among girls' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.

When was Cilia most popular?

Cilia reached its peak popularity in 1984, ranking #3,874 that year with 20 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Cilia most popular?

Cilia has historically been most popular in Texas. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Cilia.

Is Cilia a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Cilia is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Cilia?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Cilia include Dannelle, Lashannon, Makita. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Cilia

Cilia is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1969 and has accumulated 48 births in the dataset. Cilia's peak popularity came in 1984 when it ranked #3,874. Use the chart and map above to compare Cilia'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.