CECIL
Cecil is a surname of English origin that traces its etymology to the medieval given name Sesyl, a variant of the Latin name Sextus meaning “sixth”. The name was likely bestowed upon a child born as the sixth in a family or during the sixth month of the year, and over time the spelling evolved into Cecil.
In addition to the English derivation, the surname also has a recognised Welsh branch that originates from the Old Welsh male given name Seisyll(t). This Welsh form itself is derived from the Latin sextilius, a cognate of sextus. Early Welsh bearers of the name include Seisyll ap Clydog, flourishing in the seventh century, who served as King of Ceredigion and Ystrad Tywi, and Seisyllt ap Clydog, flourishing in the ninth century, who was lord of Gwynedd.
Evidence of the name in the English record dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as “Saissil” and “Seisil” in Herefordshire, and the 1188 Pipe Rolls of Shropshire. The very first recorded spelling of the family name in the English legal register is that of William Seisil, dated 1205 in the Pipe Rolls of Herefordshire during the reign of King John, who was known as “Lackland” from 1199 to 1216. Another early record, from 1202, shows the name as Richard Sitsilt in the Pipe Rolls of Warwickshire; over subsequent generations the spelling shifted to Sycill, Syssell, and finally Cecil.
The Cecil family rose to prominence within the British aristocracy. They were granted titles including the Earls of Salisbury and Exeter, the Barons Burghley, and the Viscounts Wimbledon. A seminal figure was William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley (1520–1598), who served as lord high treasurer from 1572 to 1598 and was chief adviser to Queen Elizabeth I. His eldest son, Thomas Cecil, became the first Earl of Exeter, while another son, Robert Cecil, was created Earl of Salisbury in 1605. The family’s coat of arms is described as a shield “per barry of ten silver and azure, over all six black escutcheons, three, two, and one, each charged with a lion rampant of the first.”
Members of the Cecil family also played significant roles in supporting Edward Tudor, later King Henry VII, and came to court in London after his accession in 1485. The surname remains associated with British nobility and historical scholarship, and has been carried into other parts of the English‑speaking world, particularly the United States, Australia and Canada, through emigration. Despite its spread, the name is not exceptionally common in any single region today.
Previous variants of the surname, arising from attempts at phonetic spelling, include Cecill, Cecyll, Secill, Cessil, Sesil and Cesil. The surname has also been linked to the Latin name Caecilius, and related surnames such as Cilley, Siciliano and Scillieri share a common origin.
Typical given names associated with the Cecil surname
Male
- Alan
- Andrew
- Anthony
- David
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Nigel
- Paul
- Richard
- Robert
- William
Female
- Carole
- Caroline
- Elizabeth
- Jacqueline
- Jane
- Janet
- Jennifer
- Judith
- Laura
- Linda
- Margaret
- Mary
- Natalie
- Nicola
- Victoria
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Cecil in...
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Morse
-.-..-.-....-..
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There are approximately 954 people named Cecil in the UK. That makes it roughly the 7,634th most common surname in Britain. Around 15 in a million people in Britain are named Cecil.
Surname type: From given name or forename
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Cecil
- William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley - Statesman (1520 to 1598)
- Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury - Earl (1563 to 1612)
- David Cecil, 6th Marquess of Exeter - Athlete, sports official, and Conservative Party politician (1905 to 1981)
- Henry Cecil - Racehorse trainer (1943 to 2013)
- Malcolm Cecil - Musician and record producer
- Michael Cecil, 8th Marquess of Exeter - Marquess of Exeter
- Kevin Cecil - Screenwriter
- Jonathan Cecil - Actor (1939 to 2011)
- William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Salisbury - Earl (1591 to 1668)
- Charles Cecil - Video game designer and director
- William Cecil, 5th Marquess of Exeter - Marquess of Exeter (1876 to 1)
- Martin Cecil, 7th Marquess of Exeter - Marquess of Exeter (1909 to 1988)
- Lord William Cecil - Noble (1854 to 1943)
- Anne Cecil, Countess of Oxford - Nobility, writer (1556 to 1588)
- Nigel Cecil - Royal Navy admiral (1925 to 2017)
- Richard Cecil - Politician (1570 to 1633)
- Egerton Cecil - Cricketer (1853 to 1928)
- Robert Cecil - Diplomat and writer (1913 to 1994)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.