Cecial
A feminine name derived from the Latin term "caecus" meaning blind or unsighted.
Name Census estimates that about 1 living Americans carry the first name Cecial. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Cecial today is around 50 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cecial births was 1916 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cecial. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Cecial. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
1
~ 1 in 342,754,338 Americans
Peak year
1916
5 babies that year
Average age
50
years old
1930 SSA rank
#4,083
Tracked since 1916
Popularity
Cecial: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Cecial from the 1910s through to the 1930s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 5 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Cecial 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 Cecial during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Cecial
The name Cecial is derived from the Late Latin name Caecilia, which in turn originates from the Roman family name Caecilius. The name likely stems from the Latin word "caecus," meaning "blind." It first came into use among Early Christians during the Roman period, around the 3rd century AD.
The name's association with blindness may suggest a connection to the ancient Roman legend of St. Cecilia, the patron saint of music and musicians. According to tradition, she was born into a wealthy Roman family in the late 2nd or early 3rd century AD. Despite her noble birth, she dedicated her life to Christianity and was eventually martyred for her faith.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the 5th-century manuscript "Acta Sanctorum," which chronicles the lives of early Christian martyrs. The name also appears in various liturgical texts and church records from the Middle Ages.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Cecial. One of the most famous was Cecilia Penifader (c. 1180 - 1230), an English nun and mystic renowned for her visions and spiritual writings. Another was Cecilia Gonzaga (1516 - 1566), an Italian noblewoman and scholar who played a significant role in the Catholic Reformation.
In the realm of arts and culture, Cecial has been associated with several influential figures. Cecilia Gallerani (1473 - 1536) was an Italian Renaissance poet and muse who inspired Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting "Lady with an Ermine." Cecilia Beaux (1855 - 1942) was a renowned American portrait painter whose work helped pave the way for women artists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
More recently, Cecilia Bartoli (born 1966) is an Italian operatic mezzo-soprano renowned for her interpretations of Baroque and bel canto repertoire. Her vocal virtuosity and artistic excellence have earned her numerous accolades, including five Grammy Awards.
People
Cecial + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cecial as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Cecial: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cecial?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cecial 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 342,754,338 US residents.
Is Cecial a common name?
We classify Cecial as "Very Rare". It ranks above 3.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Cecial most popular?
The single biggest year for Cecial was 1916, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cecial is about 50 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Cecial in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Cecial a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Cecial 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.
Is Cecial still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Cecial in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Cecial can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Cecial?
For a quick modern take, check how many people share the name Cecial on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.