Dog name guide

Ceilidh

The meaning, background and naming story of Ceilidh.

Letters
7
Starts with
C

Meaning and background

The story behind Ceilidh

Ceilidh is pronounced KAY-lee despite the unfamiliar cluster of letters at the end. It is a borrowing connected with Scottish Gaelic cèilidh and older Irish forms, originally a friendly social visit and now often a gathering for traditional music and dancing. The word's historical use explains its cultural associations; it does not translate literally to a dog's supposed friendliness or love of music.

Origin
English borrowing from Gaelic ceilidh/cèilidh, related to older Irish céilidhe Source
Meaning
Informal social gathering, frequently with folk music and dancing Source
Pronunciation
/ˈkeɪ.li/ (English; KAY-lee) Source

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About Ceilidh

Recorded as a dog’s name

Ceilidh appears in 3 dog licence records in the 2022 New York City dataset.

How to read this count

These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.

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Sources and research notes (2)
  • New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
  • City of Seattle Seattle Pet Licenses — DOG-only name aggregate, current source dated 6 October 2026 — Secondary spelling corroboration from dog-only licence rows. No cats, owner fields, national ranking or unique-dog claim.

References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.

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