Cecil
Masculine · “either "blind" (Latin) or "sixth”
Cecil is given to both — 106,989 boys and 7,687 girls since 1880. See Cecil as a girl nameSee other names given to both
Cecil comes down two roads at once — a Roman family name that also traveled through Wales — and by Tudor England it had settled on one of the great political households of the age, the Cecils, whose head William Cecil served as Elizabeth I's chief minister. From surname it slipped into use as a first name, and it has been given to boys in America for well over a century without ever disappearing. Two soft syllables, one long S sound, and no letter anyone has to guess at.
How old is the name Cecil?
Cecil was already in use when US birth records began in 1880 — it is at least 145 years old. The typical Cecil alive today was born around 1933, making them about 92 years old. About 36,000 people named Cecil are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Cecil most popular?
Cecil peaked in 1902, reaching #65 nationally. Today it ranks #1486, 1,421 places below that high. See the whole 1902 chart.
Where it comes from
From Sextilius to Cecil
The story of Cecil
Caecilius was one of the old Roman family names, and it survived Christianity through its feminine form, borne by Saint Cecilia, long venerated as the patron of music. Separately, Welsh speakers carried the name Seisyll, from the Roman Sextilius, and it is that line most scholars follow to the English surname Cecil. The Cecil family rose with the Tudors — William Cecil, Lord Burghley, served Elizabeth I for decades — and the name gathered aristocratic weight in England. Like many English surnames of that stature, it was recycled as a given name in the nineteenth century, and crossed to the United States with the fashion.
Meaningscholars disagree
either "blind" (Latin) or "sixth", depending on which root you follow
As a masculine echo of Cecilia, Cecil traces to the Roman family name Caecilius, from Latin caecus, "blind" — the standard reading in name dictionaries. But the English surname Cecil is usually derived instead from the Welsh name Seisyll, itself from the Roman Sextilius, built on the word for "sixth". Since the modern first name arrived largely through that surname, both readings sit legitimately behind it.
How the name formed
- Sextilius
- Seisyll
- Cecil
Related forms: Caecilius · Cecilio · Cecilio · Cecílio · Seisyll · Cécile
Pronouncing Cecil
SEE-sil
SEE-sil is standard in the United States. In Britain the first syllable is commonly short — SESS-il — which is worth knowing if your family spans both sides.
Nicknames for Cecil
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1880
- Most boys named
- 19212,456 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #65reached in 1902
- Change vs 2022
- +4.4%119 in 2025, from 114
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Cecil in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Caecilius in Latin — same name
- Cecilio in Italian — same name
- Cecilio in Spanish — same name
- Cecílio in Portuguese — same name
- Seisyll in Welsh — related form
- Cécile in French — related form
Strongest US states over the last decade: Texas, Florida, California.
Cecils among us
people named Cecil are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 14,354 born in 2025 was named Cecil
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
Fashion outlook
Cecil sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Cecil is headed
Cecil should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind.
High confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Cecil beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Cecil in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- Short, phonetic and easy to spell once the first vowel is known — no silent letters, no variant spellings competing for attention.
- A documented record stretching from Roman family names through Tudor England to modern American birth records.
- Pairs naturally with Cecilia, Cecilio and Cécile, so cousins and namesakes across languages line up without translation.
- Rare enough now that a child is very unlikely to share it with a classmate.
- The pronunciation splits by country: SEE-sil in the US, SESS-il in much of Britain. Neither is wrong, but expect occasional correcting.
- Most living Cecils belong to older generations, so the name reads as inherited rather than current — an advantage if you like that, worth knowing either way.
- The "blind" reading of the Latin root puts some parents off. The Welsh line behind the surname offers a different answer, but the Latin one is the one people tend to find first online.
- Short forms are limited to Cec and Ces, both fairly quiet; if you want a lively everyday nickname, this name may not supply one on its own.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Cecil to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Cecil? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Cecil
Masculine · #1486 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Cecils are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 36,000 people named Cecil are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Cecil in 2025?
- Cecil ranks #1486 among US boy names in 2025, with 119 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Cecil?
- About 1 in every 14,354 US boys born in 2025 was named Cecil — 119 in all.
- Will my child share the name Cecil with classmates?
- Cecil will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Cecil
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Mauro#1486 · Ziggy#1486 · Finnian#1486 · Jonathon#1486 · Kaladin#1486 · Arjan#1492 · Kyair#1492 · Nickolas#1492
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Cecil? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Cecil and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
No advertising trackers and no data sellinghow we handle your dataindependent and founder-run, about Name Battle