Ancil
An uncommon male name derived from English, with uncertain meaning.
Name Census estimates that about 364 living Americans carry the first name Ancil. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ancil today is around 69 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ancil births was 1920 (35 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ancil. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Ancil is about 69 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Ancils were born before 1967.
People living today
364
~ 1 in 941,633 Americans
Peak year
1920
35 babies that year
Average age
69
years old
2017 SSA rank
#12,366
Tracked since 1888
Popularity
Ancil: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ancil from the 1880s through to the 2010s, spanning 13 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 252 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ancil by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Ancil during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ancils live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia recorded the most babies named Ancil, while Ohio, Arkansas, Indiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 28 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ancil
The name Ancil is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "ancell," which means "hermit" or "recluse." It is believed to have originated in the 8th or 9th century, during the Anglo-Saxon period in England.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ancil can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript record of the great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that the name was in use among the English population during the Norman conquest.
Throughout history, the name Ancil has been associated with religious figures and those who lived a life of solitude and contemplation. In the 12th century, there was a hermit named Ancil who lived in a remote area of Hertfordshire, England, and was revered for his pious lifestyle.
One notable figure with the name Ancil was Ancil Grier (1826-1887), an American lawyer and politician from West Virginia. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1867 to 1871.
Another person of note was Ancil Hoffman (1879-1966), an American businessman and politician from Oklahoma. He served as the 11th Governor of Oklahoma from 1929 to 1933.
In the field of literature, there was Ancil Paterson (1913-1986), an Australian poet and writer known for his works exploring the theme of rural life in Australia.
The name Ancil has also been found in religious texts and records. For instance, in the 14th century, there was a monk named Ancil who wrote a treatise on the contemplative life.
While not as common today, the name Ancil has been carried through the centuries by various individuals, each adding their own unique contribution to the history and legacy of this ancient English name.
People
Ancil + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ancil as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ancil: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ancil?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 364 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ancil going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 941,633 US residents.
Is Ancil a common name?
We classify Ancil as "Very Rare". It ranks above 81.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,099 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ancil most popular?
The single biggest year for Ancil was 1920, when 35 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ancil is about 69 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ancil a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ancil in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.