Cerys
A feminine Welsh name derived from "Cyrisia", meaning "love" or "beloved".
Name Census estimates that about 212 living Americans carry the first name Cerys. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Cerys today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cerys births was 2014 (22 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cerys. 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.
People living today
212
~ 1 in 1,616,766 Americans
Peak year
2014
22 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2023 SSA rank
#11,379
Tracked since 1998
Popularity
Cerys: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Cerys from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 98 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Cerys 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 Cerys 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 Cerys
The name Cerys has its origins in the Welsh language and culture. It is believed to be derived from the Welsh word "cerys," which means "love." The name dates back to the medieval period in Wales, where it was primarily used as a feminine given name.
In ancient Welsh mythology, there are references to characters with names similar to Cerys, such as Ceridwen, the goddess of inspiration and knowledge. However, the direct connection between these names and the modern name Cerys is unclear.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Cerys can be found in the Welsh literature of the 14th century. A poet named Dafydd ap Gwilym is said to have mentioned a woman named Cerys in one of his poems, suggesting that the name was in use during that time.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Cerys. One of the most famous was Cerys Griffiths (born in 1958), a Welsh singer-songwriter and television presenter known for her work with the band Catatonia.
Another notable figure was Cerys Morgan (1934-2018), a Welsh-born actress who appeared in various television shows and films throughout her career, including the popular British series "The Prisoner."
In the field of literature, Cerys Jones (1923-2009) was a Welsh writer and poet who published several collections of poetry and prose, celebrating the Welsh language and culture.
Cerys Matthews (born in 1969) is a contemporary Welsh singer-songwriter and broadcaster who has released several solo albums and has been recognized for her contributions to promoting Welsh music and culture.
Cerys Williams (born in 1985) is a Welsh rugby union player who has represented Wales at the international level and has played for various clubs in the United Kingdom.
While the name Cerys has maintained a presence in Wales and other parts of the United Kingdom, it has also gained popularity in other parts of the world, particularly in English-speaking countries, as a unique and melodic given name.
People
Cerys + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cerys 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
Cerys: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cerys?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 212 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cerys 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 1,616,766 US residents.
Is Cerys a common name?
We classify Cerys as "Very Rare". It ranks above 75% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 214 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Cerys most popular?
The single biggest year for Cerys was 2014, when 22 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cerys is about 15 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Cerys a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Cerys in the SSA data are female. 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.