Cecil
Boy name · #1486 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Cecil? In official American birth records, Cecil has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Cecil is currently the #1486 boy name in the United States — 119 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #1468, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 15,126 boys born in 2025 was named Cecil.
Babies named Cecil per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 145-year story
Cecil first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 45 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1920, when 2,459 boys were named Cecil — good for #77 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Cecil against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Cecil in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Cecil is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Cecil will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Cecil is most common
State-level data for Cecil is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Cecil
Statistically, parents drawn to Cecil tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Virgil, Chester, Cyril, Carmen, and Clarence.
VirgilChesterCyrilCarmenClarenceEarlLloydBasil
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Cecil | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 119 | #1486 |
| 2024 | 122 | #1481 |
| 2023 | 117 | #1508 |
| 2022 | 114 | #1559 |
| 2021 | 114 | #1538 |
| 2020 | 97 | #1647 |
| 2019 | 98 | #1652 |
| 2018 | 114 | #1506 |
| 2017 | 103 | #1575 |
| 2016 | 103 | #1585 |
| 2015 | 114 | #1468 |
| 2014 | 99 | #1588 |
| 2013 | 114 | #1444 |
| 2012 | 97 | #1602 |
| 2011 | 91 | #1656 |
| 2010 | 78 | #1850 |
| 2009 | 88 | #1742 |
| 2008 | 122 | #1389 |
| 2007 | 111 | #1445 |
| 2006 | 107 | #1447 |
| 2005 | 108 | #1381 |
| 2004 | 100 | #1414 |
| 2003 | 101 | #1348 |
| 2002 | 106 | #1281 |
| 2001 | 121 | #1143 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Cecil?
In official American birth records, the name Cecil first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 45 newborn boys received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Cecil a popular boy name?
Cecil ranked #1486 among boys in 2025 with 119 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1468.
When was the name Cecil most popular?
Cecil peaked in 1920, when 2,459 American boys received the name (ranked #77 that year). Since 1920 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Cecil?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 15,126 newborn American boys was named Cecil. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.