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Cecil as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Cecil

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The baby name Cecil is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced ˈsɛsəl (SEH-sil).

Cecil is Latin in Origin.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: ˈsɛsəl (SEH-sil)

What is the meaning of the name Cecil ?

The baby name Cecil is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced ˈsɛsəl (SEH-sil).

Cecil is Latin in Origin.

Cecil traces to the Roman family name Caecilius, from Latin caecus “blind,” adopted into medieval England and later re-popularized through the influential Cecil family of Elizabethan statesmen (notably William and Robert Cecil). Some bearers also connect it to the Welsh Seisyll/Seisyllt, probably from Latin Sextilius “of the sixth,” so the name carries twin etymologies: “blind” or “sixth.” It came into steady given-name use in Britain from the 16th century.

The name flourished across the English-speaking world in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, then declined, now reading as a vintage choice. Pronunciation varies: SEE-səl in North America, often SESS-il in Britain. International and related forms include Cecilio (Spanish/Italian/Portuguese), the classical Caecilius, and Welsh Seisyll; feminine counterparts are Cecilia, Cecily, and Cecile. Short forms include Cec and Cece. Notable namesakes range from film director Cecil B. DeMille to photographer Cecil Beaton and poet Cecil Day-Lewis.

Cecil has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Cecil

Cecil John Rhodes Politician · Born 1853 · United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Cecil John Rhodes was a British politician and businessman best known for founding the southern African territory of Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe and Zambia. He played a significant role in the expansion of the British Empire in Africa during the late 19th century. Rhodes also established the Rhodes Scholarship, which enables international students to study at the University of Oxford.

Cecil – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Boys 1988 #1 — 339
Ireland Girls 1964 #1 — 374
FJ Boys 0 #17 1 603
BW 0 #19 1 960
NA 0 #29 5 2,537
MT 0 #42 2 1,767
MO 0 #48 5 2,706
JM 0 #76 12 3,714
MV Boys 0 #79 1 3,375
CN 0 #84 3 3,857
PH 0 #87 10 5,607
ID Girls 0 #102 1 3,319
QA 0 #102 5 7,011
BN Girls 0 #112 3 5,459
OM 0 #119 3 6,215
EC 0 #121 1 2,502
CY Girls 0 #125 1 3,755
CY Boys 0 #131 1 3,473
PA 0 #135 4 3,797
BW Boys 0 #148 7 4,685
BW Girls 0 #151 1 4,216
MT Girls 0 #153 1 3,773
CR 0 #164 2 5,526
JM Boys 0 #164 115 6,876
MT Boys 0 #176 4 4,064
PR Boys 0 #178 1 2,508
NA Boys 0 #180 56 6,830
UY 0 #181 2 2,477
AE 0 #186 2 10,220
Sweden Boys 2017 #189 2 1,544
LU Girls 0 #190 1 4,850
AR 0 #193 1 2,915
DK 0 #206 1 5,198
AO Girls 0 #216 2 4,575
BG Boys 0 #220 1 3,850
PS 0 #224 3 5,692
HU Girls 0 #225 1 3,308
MO Boys 0 #233 2 5,842
NA Girls 0 #233 5 7,146
MO Girls 0 #235 17 7,056
GH 0 #244 5 5,396
EC Boys 0 #245 2 3,322
JP Girls 0 #245 7 6,592
PT 0 #250 1 4,161
TW Boys 0 #254 3 7,111
EC Girls 0 #258 1 3,650
PH Girls 0 #261 131 13,098
NG 0 #268 5 5,926
JM Girls 0 #277 2 7,507
QA Girls 0 #278 39 15,378
SG 0 #280 3 11,010
IL 0 #281 2 6,291
TW Girls 0 #285 5 8,139
Canada Boys 2024 #298 9 2,588
CZ Boys 0 #299 7 6,530
GH Boys 0 #300 46 8,138
JP Boys 0 #303 1 7,909
SA 0 #306 7 10,560
DK Girls 0 #326 4 7,429
CN Boys 0 #328 4 9,639
PE 0 #329 1 6,350
DK Boys 0 #331 2 7,401
HK 0 #331 18 8,483
GH Girls 0 #335 3 6,973
JO Girls 0 #337 3 7,570
GT 0 #338 1 5,948
MY 0 #349 6 12,352
ZA 0 #351 97 14,421
CN Girls 0 #356 4 8,829
SD Girls 0 #357 2 7,678
OM Girls 0 #364 33 15,987
MU Boys 0 #369 1 8,477
PT Boys 0 #378 4 7,951
YE 0 #398 1 8,639
PH Boys 0 #400 9 11,440
EG 0 #408 5 6,387
France Boys 2010 #410 4 2,828
UY Boys 0 #413 1 5,922
CL 0 #429 6 6,867
KW Girls 0 #437 79 19,177
MX 0 #440 6 8,339
ZA Boys 0 #460 1,188 25,619
PA Girls 0 #464 18 9,861
SD Boys 0 #466 1 10,523
HK Boys 0 #469 59 12,905
CM Girls 0 #470 71 11,671
PA Boys 0 #470 12 9,305
CR Boys 0 #473 15 10,188
AR Boys 0 #483 1 7,628
AE Girls 0 #485 69 20,968
GT Boys 0 #498 2 7,625
UY Girls 0 #500 11 6,731
CO 0 #509 2 7,768
PS Girls 0 #509 15 10,981
RU Girls 0 #521 3 11,913
SG Girls 0 #524 63 18,916
IQ Girls 0 #525 1 11,303
BH 0 #528 26 17,937
PS Boys 0 #538 11 10,655
GT Girls 0 #540 2 7,500
LY 0 #555 5 12,703
HK Girls 0 #561 55 16,104
IR Boys 0 #561 5 10,162
CM Boys 0 #568 8 12,054
CR Girls 0 #571 3 11,342
AR Girls 0 #589 11 8,289
IL Girls 0 #607 11 11,648
BO Boys 0 #618 5 9,244
IL Boys 0 #621 5 10,983
CL Boys 0 #628 38 13,390
BO Girls 0 #643 9 9,488
Finland Boys 2026 #671 12 3,552
SG Boys 0 #681 17 17,960
LB 0 #687 4 13,263
IQ Boys 0 #697 1 13,071
Finland Girls 2026 #734 5 3,895
QA Boys 0 #741 3 18,093
SY 0 #766 2 11,684
NG Girls 0 #767 20 15,093
United States Boys 2024 #771 122 7,044
SA Girls 0 #776 160 25,931
BR Boys 0 #784 2 12,213
KW Boys 0 #799 8 18,755
Germany Girls 0 #827 12 4,949
CL Girls 0 #835 17 14,098
PE Boys 0 #857 22 14,506
EG Girls 0 #861 99 14,742
TN 0 #865 1 13,765
OM Boys 0 #871 11 17,948
CO Boys 0 #878 43 15,656
United States Girls 2022 #899 5 8,739
PE Girls 0 #913 31 14,861
NL Boys 0 #914 38 5,873
NL Girls 0 #917 39 5,933
EG Boys 0 #923 3 15,035
NG Boys 0 #924 28 16,906
Germany Boys 0 #942 11 5,697
MY Girls 0 #963 32 24,821
Spain Girls 0 #965 19 5,561
BR Girls 0 #992 1 12,708
MX Boys 0 #1,026 8 16,355
IN Boys 0 #1,031 9 16,750
CO Girls 0 #1,062 17 16,140
AE Boys 0 #1,069 24 22,615
MY Boys 0 #1,094 18 25,439
ZA Girls 0 #1,098 44 25,928
MX Girls 0 #1,135 49 17,781
DZ 0 #1,167 10 20,130
MA 0 #1,197 3 20,986
TR 0 #1,249 6 19,440
IT Girls 0 #1,385 62 9,415
IT Boys 0 #1,462 10 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,593 22 28,008

Cecil is popular in 74 countries — most recent births per country:

France
Canada
United States
Ireland
Ireland

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Cecil

Cecil is predominantly a boy's name.
Cecil is a 2 syllable name, pronounced ˈsɛsəl (SEH-sil).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Caecilius, Cecilio, Cecílio, Cécile, Cecily and Cecilia.
Across languages, Cecil has these equivalents: French: Cécile (f), English: Cecilia/Cecily (f).
Yes, very popular — Cecil ranked #1 in Ireland in 1988, and appears in official birth registries across 6 countries.
Cecil ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 1988).
Cecil's popularity is holding steady. It moved from #1 in 1978 to #1 in 1988 in Ireland.
Yes — 1 notable people named Cecil are in our database, including Cecil John Rhodes (Politician).