Cecil
Boy name · #1486 in 2025 · Very rare
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: SSA.
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
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: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.