Boy nameCurrently #1,479 in the USSteady
Cecil
SES-il//ˈsɛsɪl//
2 syllablesPeak year: 19205 lettersStarts with C
Meaning & origin
Blind (from the Roman family Caecilius)
Cecil comes from the Roman family name Caecilius, related to the Latin 'caecus', meaning blind, and shares its roots with the feminine Cecilia. Once a common English aristocratic name, it now carries a distinctly old-fashioned character.
Cecil's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Cecil |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 59 |
| 1881 | 51 |
| 1882 | 77 |
| 1883 | 74 |
| 1884 | 95 |
| 1885 | 118 |
| 1886 | 117 |
| 1887 | 120 |
| 1888 | 132 |
| 1889 | 157 |
| 1890 | 178 |
| 1891 | 158 |
| 1892 | 221 |
| 1893 | 259 |
| 1894 | 255 |
| 1895 | 287 |
| 1896 | 308 |
| 1897 | 354 |
| 1898 | 376 |
| 1899 | 373 |
| 1900 | 473 |
| 1901 | 406 |
| 1902 | 466 |
| 1903 | 435 |
| 1904 | 489 |
| 1905 | 464 |
| 1906 | 477 |
| 1907 | 526 |
| 1908 | 511 |
| 1909 | 545 |
| 1910 | 602 |
| 1911 | 676 |
| 1912 | 1,193 |
| 1913 | 1,438 |
| 1914 | 1,723 |
| 1915 | 2,381 |
| 1916 | 2,422 |
| 1917 | 2,298 |
| 1918 | 2,566 |
| 1919 | 2,500 |
| 1920 | 2,672 |
| 1921 | 2,608 |
| 1922 | 2,510 |
| 1923 | 2,401 |
| 1924 | 2,473 |
| 1925 | 2,449 |
| 1926 | 2,451 |
| 1927 | 2,344 |
| 1928 | 2,101 |
| 1929 | 1,994 |
| 1930 | 1,975 |
| 1931 | 1,848 |
| 1932 | 1,728 |
| 1933 | 1,574 |
| 1934 | 1,667 |
| 1935 | 1,792 |
| 1936 | 1,661 |
| 1937 | 1,726 |
| 1938 | 1,635 |
| 1939 | 1,647 |
| 1940 | 1,663 |
| 1941 | 1,587 |
| 1942 | 1,687 |
| 1943 | 1,764 |
| 1944 | 1,556 |
| 1945 | 1,404 |
| 1946 | 1,460 |
| 1947 | 1,485 |
| 1948 | 1,431 |
| 1949 | 1,355 |
| 1950 | 1,378 |
| 1951 | 1,355 |
| 1952 | 1,357 |
| 1953 | 1,278 |
| 1954 | 1,330 |
| 1955 | 1,265 |
| 1956 | 1,163 |
| 1957 | 1,096 |
| 1958 | 1,035 |
| 1959 | 1,031 |
| 1960 | 978 |
| 1961 | 990 |
| 1962 | 902 |
| 1963 | 830 |
| 1964 | 744 |
| 1965 | 736 |
| 1966 | 690 |
| 1967 | 555 |
| 1968 | 573 |
| 1969 | 562 |
| 1970 | 573 |
| 1971 | 548 |
| 1972 | 485 |
| 1973 | 419 |
| 1974 | 431 |
| 1975 | 353 |
| 1976 | 351 |
| 1977 | 380 |
| 1978 | 359 |
| 1979 | 356 |
| 1980 | 419 |
| 1981 | 329 |
| 1982 | 305 |
| 1983 | 318 |
| 1984 | 309 |
| 1985 | 273 |
| 1986 | 285 |
| 1987 | 257 |
| 1988 | 278 |
| 1989 | 249 |
| 1990 | 236 |
| 1991 | 217 |
| 1992 | 194 |
| 1993 | 205 |
| 1994 | 169 |
| 1995 | 152 |
| 1996 | 153 |
| 1997 | 135 |
| 1998 | 132 |
| 1999 | 133 |
| 2000 | 130 |
| 2001 | 127 |
| 2002 | 106 |
| 2003 | 109 |
| 2004 | 105 |
| 2005 | 108 |
| 2006 | 107 |
| 2007 | 111 |
| 2008 | 122 |
| 2009 | 88 |
| 2010 | 78 |
| 2011 | 91 |
| 2012 | 97 |
| 2013 | 114 |
| 2014 | 99 |
| 2015 | 119 |
| 2016 | 103 |
| 2017 | 103 |
| 2018 | 113 |
| 2019 | 98 |
| 2020 | 97 |
| 2021 | 114 |
| 2022 | 119 |
| 2023 | 115 |
| 2024 | 122 |
Cecil through the decades
- Cecil peaked in 1920, when 2,672 babies were named Cecil in the US.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Cecil has risen 9% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Cecil currently ranks #1,479 in the US and is holding steady.
Nicknames
Cec
Variants & spellings
Cecilio