Boy · #954 in 2026

Cedric

Cedric is a given name invented by Sir Walter Scott in the 1819 novel Ivanhoe.

  • English
  • French
Current Rank
#954
Peak Rank
#230 (1982)
Total Babies
42K
5-Yr Trend
+9%
1946
First Year
1989
Last Year
1972
Peak Year
#3715
Peak Rank
278
Total Count
31
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Cedric

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Cedric is a given name invented by Sir Walter Scott in the 1819 novel Ivanhoe.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • English
  • French
Etymology
The invented name is based on Cerdic , the name of a 6th-century Anglo-Saxon king (itself from Brittonic Coroticus ).

The Story of Cedric

Cedric first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1890, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1982, when 977 Cedrics were born — ranking #239 that year. As of 2026, Cedric ranks #954 for baby boys with 238 births, gradually rising (+9%). In total, more than 42K Cedrics have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1890s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Notable people named Cedric

A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.

  • Cédric Bah (born 1994), Ivorian basketball player
  • Cédric Bakambu (born 1991), French-Congolese football player
  • Cedric "CJ" Baxter (born 2005), American football player
  • Cedric Belfrage (1904–1990), British writer
  • Cedric Benson (1982–2019), American football player
  • Cedric Bixler-Zavala (born 1974), American musician
  • Cedric Bozeman (born 1983), American basketball player
  • Cedric Brooks (1943–2013), Jamaican musician

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Names that sound like Cedric

Phonetically similar names — useful when Cedric 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 Cedric

What does the name Cedric mean?
Cedric is a given name invented by Sir Walter Scott in the 1819 novel Ivanhoe.
What is the origin of the name Cedric?
Cedric has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English, French.
How popular is Cedric in 2026?
In 2026, Cedric ranks #954 among boys' names in the U.S., with 238 babies given the name that year.
When was Cedric most popular?
Cedric reached its peak popularity in 1982, ranking #230 that year with 977 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Cedric most popular?
Cedric has historically been most popular in Mississippi, South Carolina, Louisiana. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Cedric.
Is Cedric a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Cedric is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Cedric?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Cedric include Zander, Louie, Kairo. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Cedric

Cedric is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1890 and has accumulated 42K births in the dataset. Cedric's peak popularity came in 1982 when it ranked #230. Use the chart and map above to compare Cedric's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.