Find out how popular the last name Cecil is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Cecil.

Cecil, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Cecil surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cecil in America

Cecil is the 3004th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cecil surname appeared 11,941 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Cecil.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cecil to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Cecil

The surname CECIL has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Latin name Caecilius, which itself comes from the Roman family name Caecilius. The name is thought to be connected to the Latin word caecus, meaning "blind."

The earliest recorded instances of the name come from the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as Ceccill and Cecill. These early spellings suggest that the name may have originally been a reference to someone with a visual impairment or a nickname related to blindness.

By the 13th century, the name had evolved into its modern form of CECIL, and it began to spread across various regions of England, particularly in the counties of Hertfordshire, Lincolnshire, and Yorkshire.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname CECIL was William CECIL, 1st Baron Burghley (1520-1598), a prominent English statesman who served as Lord High Treasurer under Queen Elizabeth I. He played a crucial role in the English Reformation and the establishment of the Church of England.

Another historically significant figure bearing the CECIL name was Robert CECIL, 1st Earl of Salisbury (1563-1612), the son of William CECIL. He served as the Secretary of State and Lord Privy Seal under Queen Elizabeth I and later became Lord Treasurer under King James I.

In the realm of literature, the CECIL surname is associated with Algernon CECIL, Baron Amherst of Arracan (1792-1857), a British diplomat and author who wrote several books on his travels and experiences in India and Burma.

The name has also been associated with certain place names in England, such as Cecil County in Maryland, which was named after Cecil Calvert, the 2nd Baron Baltimore (1605-1675), a prominent English colonist and the first proprietor of the Province of Maryland.

Other notable individuals with the CECIL surname include David CECIL, 6th Marquess of Exeter (1905-1981), a British biographer and literary scholar, and Henry CECIL, 10th Marquess of Exeter (1939-1988), a British peer and Conservative politician.

While the CECIL surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through British colonization and migration patterns.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cecil

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Cecil.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Cecil was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Cecil has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Cecil was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Cecil, please contact us.

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