Total births
106,989
Unisex name · since 1880
Cecil
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 106,989 babies named Cecil, peaking in 1920. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1482
- among boys today
- 106,989
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other boys
106,989 babies have been named Cecil since 1880, making it today's #1482 unisex name.
Social Security Administration records show Cecil recorded 106,989 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #1482 nationally today, ahead of 90% of boys, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1482 among boys today
- 106,989 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 90% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Cecil is currently the #1482 unisex name in America, more common than 90% of boys - 106,989 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1482
- among boys today
- 106,989
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other boys
Cecil vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1482
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 90% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
21% of everyone ever named Cecil was born in this single decade.
1920
Single peak year
2,459 babies were named Cecil in 1920 - its busiest year on record.
How Cecil compares
106,989 Top 2% higher than 98% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Cecil's all-time total is 292x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Cecil | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 106,989 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 2,459 | 23 | 22,252 |
Cecil's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Cecil splits its recorded history at 1953: 25% of all births land in the more recent half, 75% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1881 (35 births) -- compare that against the 1920 peak of 2,459 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Cecil at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1920
Current rank
#1,482
Active since
1880
Cecil popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1920)
- 2,459
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Cecil popularity over time - girls
7,687 total births recorded since 1880 (Cecil as girls' name)
Cecil by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Cecil's strongest decade.
22,528 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Cecil births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 705
1880s
705 births
- 1890s 1,808
1890s
1,808 births
- 1900s 3,610
1900s
3,610 births
- 1910s
1910s
15,987 births
- 1920s
1920s
22,528 births
- 1930s
1930s
16,482 births
- 1940s
1940s
14,837 births
- 1950s
1950s
12,003 births
- 1960s 7,430
1960s
7,430 births
- 1970s 4,181
1970s
4,181 births
- 1980s 2,930
1980s
2,930 births
- 1990s 1,700
1990s
1,700 births
- 2000s 1,094
2000s
1,094 births
- 2010s 1,011
2010s
1,011 births
- 2020s 683
2020s
683 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 22,528 births (21% of all-time use).
How Cecil compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Cecil's total volume
Cecil vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Cecil by state
Where Cecil concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 9,730 | 9.1% |
| #2 | Alabama | | 5,713 | 5.3% |
| #3 | North Carolina | | 5,526 | 5.2% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 5,515 | 5.2% |
| #5 | Kentucky | | 5,468 | 5.1% |
| #6 | Oklahoma | | 4,698 | 4.4% |
| #7 | Virginia | | 4,654 | 4.3% |
| #8 | Tennessee | | 4,493 | 4.2% |
Texas share of Cecil's total US births 9.1%
Even split
9,730 of 106,989 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 49 reporting states.
Cecil appears in 49 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Cecil? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 106,989 babies named Cecil. Today it holds rank #1482 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1920, with 2,459 births.
When was Cecil most popular? ▼
Cecil was most popular in the 1920s decade with 22,528 total births. The single peak year was 1920.
Where is Cecil most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Cecil are Texas (9,730 births), Alabama (5,713 births), North Carolina (5,526 births).
Is Cecil a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Cecil is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 106,989 births, and as a girl's name it has 7,687 births.
How long has the name Cecil been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Cecil since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Cecil? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Cecilio, Cecile, Cecilia, Cecelia, and 2 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Cecil's data
- Cecil's decade-level peak was the 1920s (22,528 total births); usage has since declined to 683 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Cecils (9,730 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Cecil
Nearby Names Like Cecil
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Cecil
Cecilio Boy
#5923 2,411 births
Cecile Boy
191 births
Cecilia Boy
177 births
Cecelia Boy
11 births
Cecial Boy
10 births
Compare Cecil side by side: Cecil vs Cecilio Cecil vs Cecile Cecil vs Cecilia
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Cecil
Anton #1481
23,915 births · Peak 1915
Haven #1483
4,871 births · Peak 2007
Zavian #1480
2,303 births · Peak 2020
Cristobal #1484
7,990 births · Peak 2001
Kaine #1479
3,621 births · Peak 2017
Mahir #1485
1,658 births · Peak 2025
Akeem #1478
6,825 births · Peak 1990
Scout #1486
2,092 births · Peak 2022
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Cecil: #1482 Unisex Name - 106,989 Births, Peak 1920." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/cecil. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Cecil draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.