Cecil
The Roman family name Caecilius, “blind,” crossed with the Welsh surname Seisyllt.
Popularity, 1880–2025
Cecil appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American boys in 35 different years between 1895 and 1930. Its biggest year was 1920, when 2,459 newborn boys received the name, ranking it No. 77 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1902, at No. 65. The name has also seen real use for girls: 7,687 of the 114,676 Americans given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Cecile (20,612), Cecille (984) (total births since 1880)
Explore Cecil interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 705 | No. 141 |
| 1890s | 1,808 | No. 77 |
| 1900s | 3,610 | No. 65 |
| 1910s | 15,987 | No. 74 |
| 1920s | 22,528 | No. 77 |
| 1930s | 16,482 | No. 99 |
| 1940s | 14,837 | No. 117 |
| 1950s | 12,003 | No. 171 |
| 1960s | 7,430 | No. 251 |
| 1970s | 4,181 | No. 337 |
| 1980s | 2,930 | No. 401 |
| 1990s | 1,700 | No. 665 |
| 2000s | 1,094 | No. 1083 |
| 2010s | 1,011 | No. 1444 |
| 2020s | 683 | No. 1481 |
Births and rank shown for boys, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.