I love the name [name_f]Cecilia[/name_f]. It’s one of my favorite names, she just makes me happy. I even find beauty in the meaning (which most don’t like)… I have known several Cecilias but I would love to meet more. It’s such a beautiful name and maybe an underrated classic? I feel like she is always rarer than I expect but also more consistently used than I would expect too. I used to think it was the rarest, most lovely name when I grew up with one… so much less trendy than my own name haha!
I love the nn Cici/Cece! She’s sweet and happy and feels creative and kind. The Cecilias I know still go by [name_f]Cece[/name_f] today, and they are in their 30s. Seeing it on [name_m]Zooey[/name_m] Deschanel’s show, too (my mind is blanking lol, the show about [name_m]Jess[/name_m] and the like 3-4 male roommates, the grumpy bartender who became her love interest…) also helped it feel very versatile to me.
[name_f]Celia[/name_f] - Ironically never really loved this, but it is nice. One of the Cecilias I know goes by [name_f]Cece[/name_f] and [name_f]Celia[/name_f] pretty much equally.
[name_f]Cilla[/name_f] - feels more of a nn for [name_f]Priscilla[/name_f] to me, but it’s fine. I just don’t love it.
I don’t know that I’d ever use anything but Cece/Cici tbh, I love it so much (Cici is a nn for like 3-4 names on my short list because of this lol), but if I had to use something else, I really like [name_f]Cissy[/name_f] (like Sissy) or [name_f]Celie[/name_f] (like SEE-lee). [name_m]Read[/name_m] a novella once with a [name_f]Cecilia[/name_f] nn [name_f]Cissy[/name_f] and I thought it was fun even though it sounds a bit childish. Cessy (sess-ee vs. siss-ee) could also maybe work. I could also see something like Lily/Lili as a nn or maybe a compound nn with a middle.
I feel like these would work really well with [name_f]Cecilia[/name_f]:
[name_f]Adelaide[/name_f]
[name_f]Arabella[/name_f]
[name_f]Evangeline[/name_f]
[name_f]Susanna[/name_f]
[name_f]Beatrice[/name_f]
[name_m]Jasper[/name_m]
[name_m]Jude[/name_m]
[name_m]Henry[/name_m]
[name_m]August[/name_m]
[name_m]Lionel[/name_m]
[name_m]Alexander[/name_m]
Good luck!