How common is the surname Cecil?

11,941 people in the United States had the surname Cecil in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 25,856 Americans. It ranked 3,004th of 162,253 surnames.

Who is the most famous person named Cecil?

Nora Cecil, American actress (1878-1951), followed by Lord David Cecil.

Where is the surname Cecil most common?

Wikidata records people named Cecil in the United States and the United Kingdom.

How do you pronounce Cecil?

Cecil is /ˈsiːsəl/, 2 syllables.

Is the surname Cecil getting more or less common?

More common. 11,758 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 11,941 in 2010, up 1.6%.

Is Cecil also a first name?

Yes. Cecil is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.

The surname Cecil

A Welsh surname, carried by 11,941 people in the United States.

Pronounced /ˈsiːsəl/ 2 syllables Soundex C240 Also a first name

Every surname held by 100 or more people in the 2010 US Census, most common on the left (162,253 in all). Cecil is more common than 98.1% of them.

Origin

Welsh origin

From Latin Caecilius, a Roman family name derived from caecus (“blind”). The surname has absorbed the Old Welsh Seisyllt, from Latin Sextilius, from Sextus.

One of 60 Welsh surnames on this site.

Origin from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

How common it is

2010 US Census

There were 11,941 people named Cecil in the United States in 2010, about 1 in every 25,856 Americans. That is up 1.6% since 2000, when the Census counted 11,758.

#3,004

rank among US surnames

11,941

people in 2010

4.0

per 100,000 Americans

+1.6%

change since 2000 (was #2,804)

Rank	Surname	People	1 in
#2,995	Billingsley	11,973	25,787
#2,996	Stack	11,967	25,800
#2,997	Chowdhury	11,961	25,813
#2,998	Pascual	11,959	25,817
#2,999	Qualls	11,958	25,819
#3,000	Persaud	11,956	25,823
#3,001	Fortner	11,951	25,834

Who is named Cecil

Race and Hispanic origin as people reported it in the 2010 Census

91% of people named Cecil identified as white (not Hispanic), 3.8% as Black (not Hispanic) and 2.3% as Hispanic or Latino (any race).

White (not Hispanic) 91%
Black (not Hispanic) 3.8%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2.3%
Two or more races 1.5%
Asian and Pacific Islander 1.1%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.7%

Compare: most common surnames among white Americans.

Famous Cecils

4 notable people on Wikidata, most written-about first

Nora Cecil
American actress (1878-1951)
Lord David Cecil
British biographer, historian and academic (1902–1986)
Brett Cecil
American baseball player, born 1986
Mallory Cecil
American tennis player, born 1990

Notable Cecils come mostly from the United States (3) and the United Kingdom (1).

Other Welsh surnames

All 60 Welsh surnames

Questions

Where does the surname Cecil come from?: From Latin Caecilius, a Roman family name derived from caecus (“blind”). The surname has absorbed the Old Welsh Seisyllt, from Latin Sextilius, from Sextus.
How common is the surname Cecil?: 11,941 people in the United States had the surname Cecil in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 25,856 Americans. It ranked 3,004th of 162,253 surnames.
What ethnicity is the surname Cecil?: In the 2010 Census, 91% of people named Cecil identified as white (not Hispanic), and 3.8% as Black (not Hispanic).
Who is the most famous person named Cecil?: Nora Cecil, American actress (1878-1951), followed by Lord David Cecil.
Where is the surname Cecil most common?: Wikidata records people named Cecil in the United States and the United Kingdom.
How do you pronounce Cecil?: Cecil is /ˈsiːsəl/, 2 syllables.
Is the surname Cecil getting more or less common?: More common. 11,758 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 11,941 in 2010, up 1.6%.
Is Cecil also a first name?: Yes. Cecil is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.