Cesley
A variant spelling of the feminine name Cecilia, derived from Latin meaning "blind".
Name Census estimates that about 48 living Americans carry the first name Cesley. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Cesley today is around 34 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cesley births was 1989 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cesley. 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 Cesley. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
48
~ 1 in 7,140,715 Americans
Peak year
1989
14 babies that year
Average age
34
years old
2001 SSA rank
#15,816
Tracked since 1988
Popularity
Cesley: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Cesley from the 1980s through to the 2000s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 25 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Cesley 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 Cesley 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 Cesley
The name Cesley is believed to have originated from the Old English language, with its roots traced back to the Anglo-Saxon era in England, around the 5th to 11th centuries AD. The name is likely derived from the combination of the Old English words "cæse" meaning "cheese" and "leah" meaning "meadow" or "clearing." This suggests that Cesley may have initially referred to a person who lived or worked in a meadow or clearing where cheese was produced or stored.
In terms of historical references, the name Cesley does not appear to be prominently mentioned in ancient texts, religious scriptures, or major historical records from that time period. However, variations of the name, such as Casley or Caselay, can be found in some medieval English records and documents, indicating its use as a surname or place name during the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Cesley was Cesley Phillipps, an English historian and antiquarian who lived from 1676 to 1749. He is known for his works on the history and antiquities of Shropshire, England.
Another notable figure was Cesley Trevilian, an English soldier and explorer who lived in the late 16th century. He participated in several expeditions to the Americas and is credited with being one of the first Englishmen to explore parts of what is now Virginia and North Carolina.
In the 18th century, Cesley Whitehurst was a prominent English clockmaker and inventor from Norfolk, England. He is known for his contributions to the development of timepieces and mechanical devices during the Industrial Revolution.
Cesley Rawnsley, born in 1854 and died in 1924, was an English poet, clergyman, and conservationist. He played a significant role in the preservation of the Lake District in England and was a founding member of the National Trust.
Another notable figure was Cesley Sillitoe, an English artist and illustrator who lived from 1888 to 1966. He is particularly known for his illustrations of children's books and his depictions of rural life in England.
While the name Cesley is relatively uncommon, it has a rich historical background rooted in the Old English language and has been borne by several notable individuals throughout history, primarily in England.
People
Cesley + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cesley 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
Cesley: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cesley?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 48 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cesley 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 7,140,715 US residents.
Is Cesley a common name?
We classify Cesley as "Very Rare". It ranks above 53.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 50 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Cesley most popular?
The single biggest year for Cesley was 1989, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cesley is about 34 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 Cesley in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Cesley a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Cesley 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.
Is Cesley still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Cesley 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 Cesley 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 are called Cesley?
You can see how many people have the name Cesley on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.