Cecil
2025 SSA
Below 5 births
About Cecil
Once a powerful Roman clan name, Cecil has lost much of its potency over the years, though it retains a strong presence in the sports and jazz worlds. Past bearers include film giant Cecil B. DeMille, poet Cecil Day Lewis, father of Daniel, and photographer Cecil Beaton. Fictional Cecils appear in Oscar Wilde's play, Lady Windemere's Fan, E. M. Foster's A Room With a View and the film Lee Daniel's The Butler.
Cecil for girls
Cecil as a feminine name represents an interesting gender crossover from what was traditionally a masculine name. Derived from the Roman clan name Caecilius, which comes from Latin 'caecus' meaning 'blind,' Cecil has historical significance as a male name in English-speaking countries since the Norman conquest. The feminine usage is much rarer and more modern, possibly influenced by names like Cecilia and Cecile. The name carries a vintage, sophisticated quality with literary and historical associations. As a female name, Cecil peaked in the early 20th century but has since become quite uncommon, giving it a distinctive retro appeal. This gender-crossing usage offers a unique option for parents drawn to unexpected traditional names with a subtle strength and elegance.
Pronounced SES-ul.
As of October 2026, Cecil ranked #1486 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #65 in 1902, Nameberry popularity #469.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · boys | Births · boys | US rank · girls | Births · girls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #1,590 | 99 | — | 0 |
| 2015 | #1,468 | 114 | — | 0 |
| 2016 | #1,587 | 103 | — | 0 |
| 2017 | #1,576 | 103 | — | 0 |
| 2018 | #1,511 | 113 | — | 0 |
| 2019 | #1,653 | 98 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | #1,647 | 97 | — | 0 |
| 2021 | #1,538 | 114 | — | 0 |
| 2022 | #1,558 | 114 | — | 0 |
| 2023 | #1,528 | 115 | — | 0 |
| 2024 | #1,479 | 122 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | #1,486 | 119 | — | 0 |
World rankings
Cecil for boys
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Cecil on lists
Famous Cecils
- Cecil Blount DeMilleBoy
American film director
- Cecil Grant FielderBoy
American baseball player
- Cecil AdamsBoy
pen name of the author of The Straight Dope column
- Cecil BaldwinBoy
American voice actor
- Cecil Walter Hardy BeatonBoy
British photographer
- Cecil "Cecilius" CalvertBoy
founder of Maryland, USA
- Cecil DayBoy
Lewis, British poet
- Cecil DowdyBoy
American football player
- Cecil NewtonBoy
American football player
- Cecil John RhodesBoy
British entrepreneur and politician
- Cecil Carlon ShortsBoy
American football player
Cecil in pop culture
- Cecil Gershwin PalmerBoy
gay radio host and main character of "Welcome To Night Vale"
- Cecil DyneverBoy
character in "Lionel Lincoln"
- Cecil GainesBoy
character in "The Butler"
- Cecil HarveyBoy
character in "Final Fantasy IV"
- Cecil JacobsBoy
character in "To Kill A Mockingbird"
- Lord Cecil PsnakeBoy
character in "Freddy and Fredericka"
- Cecil TerwilligerBoy
brother of Sideshow Bob on "The Simpsons"
- Cecil VyseBoy
character in "A Room with a View"
- "Cecil Dreeme" (1862)Boy
"interesting early transvestite novel" by Theodore Winthrop, in which Clara Denman dresses up as male painter amongst New York artists under the name of Cecil Dreeme in order to escape marriage to the evil Dendreth
- CecilBoy
Zimbabwean lion killed in 2015