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Home › Baby Names Directory › Cecil

Cecil

♂ Boy

Pronounced SEE-suhl /ˈsi.səl/Medium

Meaning: Blind (from Roman family name Caecilius)Medium

In 30 seconds: Cecil derives from the Roman family name Caecilius and carries the meaning 'blind'.
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Origin MediumLatin, English
MeaningBlind (from Roman family name Caecilius)
U.S. rank (2025)#1486 ↘ Falling
2025 U.S. births119 boys (0.01% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1920
Total births (all-time)≈ 106,986

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 192018802025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

The name goes back to the Roman clan name Caecilius, which is linked to the sense 'blind'. Despite that literal meaning, Cecil settled into English as a dignified, old-fashioned given name. Its Latin pedigree gives it a quiet formality.

The pioneering Hollywood director Cecil B. DeMille, known for epics like The Ten Commandments, is among its notable bearers. It connects to forms such as Caecilius, Cecilio, and Cecílio.

Did you know? Cecil likely reached first-name use through a surname or place-name route, which gives it that modern borrowed-from-history feel.
Overall data confidence 78%
Behind the Name - Cecil — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

CaeciliusCecilioCecílio

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

  • ★Cecil B. DeMille (1881–1959)
    American filmmaker and pioneering Hollywood director known for epics such as The Ten Commandments.

If you like Cecil…

Cecilia— the feminine name from the same Caecilius family as Cecil
Virgil— shares Cecil's Latin roots
Cashton— another English name
Cedar— shares Cecil's English roots
Crosby— another English name

Explore names like Cecil

By themeenglishsurname-styleroman

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Cecil mean?

Cecil is usually explained as meaning 'origin uncertain' and is most often linked with Roman tradition.

How do you pronounce Cecil?

It's commonly said SEE-suhl /ˈsi.səl/.

Is Cecil a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Cecil is used as a boy name.

How popular is Cecil?

In 2024, Cecil ranked #1479 in the U.S. for boys, with 122 births recorded.

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