Cecil
Cecil is a given name of Welsh origin.
Meaning & Origin of Cecil
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Cecil is a given name of Welsh origin.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Cecil
As a girl name
Cecil first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1880, with 14 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1916, when 241 Cecils were born — ranking #404 that year. As of 2026, Cecil ranks #15,292 for girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 8K Cecils have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Cecil first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1880, with 45 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1920, when 2,459 Cecils were born — ranking #77 that year. As of 2026, Cecil ranks #1,452 for boys with 126 births, gradually rising (+14%). In total, more than 107K Cecils have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Cecil
Phonetically similar names — useful when Cecil is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Cecil
What does the name Cecil mean?
How popular is Cecil in 2026?
When was Cecil most popular?
In which U.S. states is Cecil most popular?
Is Cecil a unisex name?
What names go well with Cecil?
About the name Cecil
Cecil is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 107K births in the dataset. Cecil's peak popularity came in 1920 when it ranked #65. Use the chart and map above to compare Cecil's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1920 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.