Cecil is a usually male given name of

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

origin. The name was associated with

Monmouthshire Monmouthshire ( cy, Sir Fynwy) is a county in the south-east of Wales. The name derives from the historic county of the same name; the modern county covers the eastern three-fifths of the historic county. The largest town is Abergavenny, with ...

and derives from the

Old Welsh Old Welsh ( cy, Hen Gymraeg) is the stage of the Welsh language from about 800 AD until the early 12th century when it developed into Middle Welsh.Koch, p. 1757. The preceding period, from the time Welsh became distinct from Common Brittonic ...

personal name ''Seisyllt''. The name may be related to that of the local Celtic tribe (the

Silures The Silures ( , ) were a powerful and warlike tribe or tribal confederation of ancient Britain, occupying what is now south east Wales and perhaps some adjoining areas. They were bordered to the north by the Ordovices; to the east by the Dobunn ...

) and the successor kingdom ( Essyllwg). Notable people with the given name include:

People

Male

* Cecil Banes-Walker (1888–1915), English cricketer * Cecil A. Beasley (1876–1959), American lawyer and politician *

Cecil Beaton Sir Cecil Walter Hardy Beaton, (14 January 1904 – 18 January 1980) was a British fashion, portrait and war photographer, diarist, painter, and interior designer, as well as an Oscar–winning stage and costume designer for films and the theat ...

(1904–1980), English photographer *

Cecil Boyd-Rochfort Sir Cecil Charles Boyd-Rochfort KCVO (188718 March 1983) was an Irish thoroughbred racehorse trainer who was British flat racing Champion Trainer five times. Background Cecil was the son of Rochfort Hamilton Boyd-Rochfort and the grandson of ...

(1887–1983), British racehorse trainer *

Cecil Brooks III Cecil Brooks III (born 1959) is an American jazz drummer and record producer who has worked with Arthur Blythe, Russell Gunn, John Hicks, Andrew Hill, Etta Jones, Roseanna Vitro, Marvin Peterson, and Jimmy Ponder. A native of the Homewood neig ...

(born 1961), American drummer * Cecil Calvert (disambiguation), several people *

Cecil Clarke Cecil Phillip Clarke (born April 12, 1968) is a politician in Nova Scotia, Canada. He was the mayor of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality from 2012 to 2020, and represented the riding of Cape Breton North in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly ...

(born 1968), Canadian politician *

Cecil Clementi Sir Cecil Clementi (; 1 September 1875 – 5 April 1947) was a British colonial administrator who served as Governor of Hong Kong from 1925 to 1930, and Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Straits Settlements from 1930 to 1934. Early lif ...

(1875–1947), Governor of Hong Kong, British colonial administrator * Cec Cooper (born 1926), Australian professional rugby league footballer and coach *

Cecil Cooper Cecil Celester Cooper (born December 20, 1949) is an American former professional baseball player, coach, manager and sports agent. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman from 1971 to 1987 for the Boston Red Sox and the Milwaukee ...

(born 1949), American baseball player and manager *

Cecil Cooper (bishop) Alfred Cecil Cooper was the fourth Anglican Communion, Anglican Bishop in Korea from 1931 until 1954. Born in 1882 and educated at Bradfield College and Christ's College, Cambridge, he was ordained priest on Trinity Sunday (26 May), by Handley ...

(1882–1964), English-Korean bishop *

Cecil Cooper (priest) Cecil Henry Hamilton Cooper (25 October 1871 – 6 January 1942) was Dean of Carlisle from 1933 to 1938. Born into an ecclesiastical family in Beyton, Suffolk,''1911 England Census'' Cooper was the son of Henry William Cooper, sometime Vicar of ...

(1871–1942), British priest and dean *

Cecil Day-Lewis Cecil Day-Lewis (or Day Lewis; 27 April 1904 – 22 May 1972), often written as C. Day-Lewis, was an Irish-born British poet and Poet Laureate from 1968 until his death in 1972. He also wrote mystery stories under the pseudonym of Nicholas Bla ...

(1904–1972), Anglo-Irish poet *

Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American film director, producer and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of the American cine ...

(1881–1959), American film director and film producer *

Cecil Dolecheck Cecil A. Dolecheck (born May 30, 1951) is the Iowa State Representative from the 24th District. A Republican, he has served in the Iowa House of Representatives since 1997. Dolecheck was born, raised, and resides in Mount Ayr, Iowa. He attende ...

(born 1951), American politician from Iowa *

Cecil Duncan Cecil Charles Duncan (February 1, 1893December 25, 1979) was a Canadian ice hockey administrator. He served as president of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) from 1936 to 1938 and led reforms towards semi-professionalism in ice hoc ...

(1893–1979), Canadian ice hockey administrator *

Cecil Fielder Cecil Grant Fielder (; born September 21, 1963) is an American former professional baseball player in Major League Baseball (MLB). Fielder was a power hitter in the 1980s and 1990s. He attended college at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV ...

(born 1963), American baseball player * Cecil Gordon (1941-2012), American racecar driver *

Cecil Grigg Cecil Burkett "Tex" Grigg (February 15, 1891 – September 5, 1968) was an American football player and coach. He played running back for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Canton Bulldogs, the Rochester Jeffersons, the ...

(1891–1968), American football player *

Cecil Harcourt Admiral Sir Cecil Halliday Jepson Harcourt (translated to Chinese as zh , t= 夏慤 , j=haa6 kok3 , labels=no; 11 April 1892 – 19 December 1959) was a British naval officer. He was the ''de facto'' governor of Hong Kong as commander-in-chie ...

(1892–1959), British military officer *

Cecil Heftel Cecil Landau Heftel (September 30, 1924 – February 4, 2010), popularly known as Cec Heftel, was an American politician and businessman from Hawai'i. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1977 to 1986 for the First Congre ...

(1924–2010), American politician in Hawaii *

Cecil Humphery-Smith Cecil Raymond Julian Humphery-Smith (29 October 1928 – 12 January 2021) was a British genealogist and heraldist. Early life Cecil Humphery-Smith was born on 29 October 1928 to Frederick Humphery-Smith of Burgess Hill, West Sussex, a company ...

(born 1928), British genealogist and heraldist * Cecil E. Johnson (1888–1955), Chief Justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court *

Cecil Kellaway Cecil Lauriston Kellaway (22 August 1890 – 28 February 1973) was a South African character actor. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor twice, for '' The Luck of the Irish'' (1948) and ''Guess Who's Coming to Dinne ...

(1890–1973), British-South African actor *

Cecil Leonard Cecil Leonard (July 20, 1946August 5, 2020) was an American professional football player who was a defensive back for two seasons with the New York Jets of the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He was drafted ...

(born 1946), American football player *

Cecil Mamiit Cecil Valdeavilla Mamiit (born June 27, 1976) is a former tennis player from the United States who went on to represent the Philippines. He began his professional career in 1996 and reached his highest individual ranking in the ATP Tour on Octo ...

(born 1977), American tennis player representing the Philippines *

Cecil McBee Cecil McBee (born May 19, 1935) is an American jazz bassist. He has recorded as a leader only a handful of times since the 1970s, but has contributed as a sideman to a number of jazz albums. Biography Early life and career McBee was born in Tu ...

(born 1935), American jazz bassist * Cecil Mountford (1919–2009), New Zealand rugby league footballer and coach *

Cecil Parker Cecil Parker (born Cecil Schwabe, 3 September 1897 – 20 April 1971) was an English actor with a distinctively husky voice, who usually played supporting roles, often characters with a supercilious demeanour, in his 91 films made between ...

(1897–1971), English character and comedy actor *

Cecil Parkinson Cecil Edward Parkinson, Baron Parkinson, (1 September 1931 – 22 January 2016) was a British Conservative Party politician and cabinet minister. A chartered accountant by training, he entered Parliament in November 1970, and was appointed a ...

(1931–2016), British politician *

Cecil Payne Cecil Payne (December 14, 1922 – November 27, 2007) was an American jazz baritone saxophonist born in Brooklyn, New York. Payne also played the alto saxophone and flute. He played with other prominent jazz musicians, in particular Dizzy Gilles ...

(1922–2007), American saxophonist *

Cecil Polhill Cecil Henry Polhill, formerly Cecil Henry Polhill-Turner (23 February 1860 in Bedfordshire – 9 March 1938 in Hampstead, London) was a British Pentecostal leader and missionary. Early life Cecil Henry Polhill was born on 23 February 1860. H ...

(1860–1938), British missionary * Cecil Potter (born 1888), former professional manager *

Cecil Frank Powell Cecil Frank Powell, FRS (5 December 1903 – 9 August 1969) was a British physicist, and Nobel Prize in Physics laureate for heading the team that developed the photographic method of studying nuclear processes and for the resulting discovery of ...

(1903–1969), British physicist *

Cecil Purdy Cecil John Seddon Purdy (27 March 1906 – 6 November 1979), often referred to as "C. J. S. Purdy", was an Australian chess player and writer. He was awarded the titles International Master in 1951 and Grandmaster of correspondence chess in ...

(1906–1979), Australian chess player *

Cecil Rhodes Cecil John Rhodes (5 July 1853 – 26 March 1902) was a British mining magnate and politician in southern Africa who served as Prime Minister of the Cape Colony from 1890 to 1896. An ardent believer in British imperialism, Rhodes and his Br ...

(1853–1902), British imperialist and businessman * Cecil Saint-Laurent, the nom de plume of Jacques Laurent (1919–2000), French writer and journalist *

Cecil Sandford Cecil Charles Sandford (born 21 February 1928) is a British former professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He competed in the FIM motorcycle Grand Prix world championships from 1950 to 1957. Sandford is a two-time FIM road racing wor ...

(born 1928), British motorcycle racer * Cecil Sandford (footballer) (1874–1946), Australian rules footballer *

Cecil Sharp Cecil James Sharp (22 November 1859 – 23 June 1924) was an English-born collector of folk songs, folk dances and instrumental music, as well as a lecturer, teacher, composer and musician. He was the pre-eminent activist in the development of t ...

(1859–1924), English folk-song collector *

Cecil Spring Rice Sir Cecil Arthur Spring Rice, (27 February 1859 – 14 February 1918) was a British diplomat who served as British Ambassador to the United States from 1912 to 1918, as which he was responsible for the organisation of British efforts to end A ...

(1859–1918), British diplomat *

Cecil W. Stoughton Cecil William Stoughton (January 18, 1920 – November 3, 2008) was an American photographer. He is best known for being President John F. Kennedy's photographer during his White House years. Stoughton was present at the motorcade at which Kenn ...

(1920–2008), American photographer *

Cecil Taylor Cecil Percival Taylor (March 25, 1929April 5, 2018) was an American pianist and poet. Taylor was classically trained and was one of the pioneers of free jazz. His music is characterized by an energetic, physical approach, resulting in complex ...

(1929–2018), American pianist and poet *

Cecil Taylor (playwright) Cecil Philip Taylor (6 November 1929 – 9 December 1981) usually credited as C. P. Taylor, was a Scottish playwright. He wrote almost 80 plays during his 16 years as a professional playwright, including several for radio and television. He also ...

(1929–1981), Scottish playwright *

Cecil Tyndale-Biscoe Cecil Earle Tyndale-Biscoe (9 February 1863 – 1 August 1949) was a British missionary and educationist, who worked in Kashmir where he established the Tyndale Biscoe School. He was born with the family name Biscoe. It was changed to Tyndale- ...

(1863–1949), British missionary and educationalist, working in Kashmir *

Cecil Waidyaratne General L. D. E. Cecil Waidyaratne, VSV, USP (16 May 1938 – 18 December 2001) was a Sri Lanka Army officer. He was 12th Commander of the Sri Lankan Army and a former Sri Lankan Ambassador to Thailand. Education Educated at St. Benedict's C ...

(1938–2001), Sri Lankan military officer *

Cecil Williamson Cecil Williamson (18 September 1909 – 9 December 1999) was a British screenwriter, editor and film director and influential English Neopagan Warlock. He was the founder of both the Witchcraft Research Center which was a part of MI6's war aga ...

(1909–1999), English screenwriter, film editor, film director and Neopagan warlock *

Cecil Womack Cecil Dale Womack (September 25, 1947 – January 25, 2013) was an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He was one of the musical Womack brothers, and had success both as a songwriter and recording artist, notably with his wife Linda ...

(1947–2013), American singer-songwriter and record producer *

Cecil Charles Worster-Drought Cecil Charles Worster-Drought (2 August 1888–27 October 1971) was an English physician and neurologist. He discovered and named Worster-Drought syndrome. He was one of the founders of Moor House School, Oxted Oxted is a town and civ ...

(1888–1971), English physician

Female

Cecil Frances Alexander Cecil Frances Alexander (April 1818 – 12 October 1895) was an Anglo-Irish hymnwriter and poet. Amongst other works, she wrote "All Things Bright and Beautiful", "There is a green hill far away" and the Christmas carol "Once in Royal David's Cit ...

(1818-1895), Irish hymnist *

Cecil Arden Cecil Arden (December 15, 1894 – September 4, 1989) was an American mezzo-soprano and contralto opera singer active over the early decades of the twentieth century. Life and career Cecile Alexia Hart was born in New York City to Benjamin and ...

(1894–1989), American opera singer *

Cecil Bødker Cecil Bødker (27 March 1927 – 19 April 2020) was a Danish writer and poet, most known for young adult fiction books about the character "Silas". For her "lasting contribution to children's literature" she received the international Hans Chr ...

(born 1927), Danish writer *

Cecil Cunningham Edna Cecil Cunningham (August 2, 1888 – April 17, 1959) was an American film and stage actress, singer, and comedienne. Early years Cunningham started her working life as a switchboard operator in a commerce bank and did some sittings as a ...

(1888–1959), American actress *

Cecil Woodham-Smith Cecil Blanche Woodham-Smith ( Fitzgerald; 29 April 1896 – 16 March 1977) CBE was a British historian and biographer. She wrote four popular history books, each dealing with a different aspect of the Victorian era. Early life Cecil Woodham-Smi ...

(1896–1977), British historian and biographer *

Cecil Castellucci Cecil C. Castellucci (born October 25, 1969 in New York City), also known as Cecil Seaskull, is an American-born Canadian young adult novelist, indie rocker, and director. She currently lives in Los Angeles, California. Biography Castellucci gre ...

(born 1969), American writer and musician * Cecil Kishimoto (born 1990), Japanese fashion model

Fictional characters

Cecil Cecil may refer to: People with the name * Cecil (given name), a given name (including a list of people and fictional characters with the name) * Cecil (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) Places Canada *Cecil, Alberta, ...

, minor character from the NBC soap opera ''Passions'' *Cecil, a character from the American animated series ''

Beany and Cecil ''Beany and Cecil'' is a 1962 animated television series created by Bob Clampett for the American Broadcasting Company. The cartoon was based on the television puppet show '' Time for Beany'', which Clampett produced for Paramount Pictures compan ...

'' *

Cecil Adams Cecil Adams is the pseudonymous author of ''The Straight Dope'', a popular question and answer column published in ''The Chicago Reader'' from 2 February 1973 to 2018. The true identity of Adams, whether a single individual or a group of authors, ...

, an author pseudonym in ''The Straight Dope'' newspaper column *Cecil Aijima, a character in the anime series ''

Uta no Prince-sama is a Japanese multimedia franchise by Broccoli. The original game of the same name was first released on the PlayStation Portable on June 24, 2010, and since its release, the game has spawned multiple sequels and rhythm game spin-offs. The ser ...

'' *Cecil Fredericks, a character from the films ''

Night at the Museum ''Night at the Museum'' is a 2006 fantasy comedy film directed by Shawn Levy and written by Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon. It is based on the 1993 children's book of the same name by Croatian illustrator Milan Trenc. The film had an ensem ...

'' and '' Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb'' * Cecil Harvey (''Final Fantasy''), character in the ''Final Fantasy IV'' video game *Cecil Gershwin Palmer, character in the ''

Welcome to Night Vale ''Welcome to Night Vale'' is a podcast presented as a radio show for the fictional town of Night Vale, reporting on the strange events that occur within it. The series was created in 2012 by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor. Published by Night Vale ...

'' podcast *Cecil Stedman, character in the ''

Invincible Invincible may refer to: Film and television * ''Invincible'' (2001 drama film), a drama by Werner Herzog about Jewish cabaret during the rise of Nazism * ''Invincible'' (2001 TV film), a fantasy / martial arts TV movie starring Billy Zane ...

'' comics and its television adaptation. * Cecil Sudo, the protagonist in the anime series '' Wizard Barristers'' *Cecil Terwilliger, brother of Sideshow Bob in ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...

'' *

Cecil Turtle Cecil Turtle is a fictional character in the Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' and '' Merrie Melodies'' series of films. Though he made only three theatrical appearances, Cecil has the unusual distinction in that he is one of the very few characters w ...

, ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon character *Cecil Vyse, a character from E. M. Forster's novel ''

A Room with a View ''A Room with a View'' is a 1908 novel by English writer E. M. Forster, about a young woman in the restrained culture of Edwardian era England. Set in Italy and England, the story is both a romance and a humorous critique of English society a ...

'' *Cecil the Geek, a ''

Challenge TV Challenge is a British free-to-air television channel owned by Sky, a division of Comcast. The channel mostly transmits game shows from the UK and around the world, with some original productions. History The Family Channel The channel was ...

'' character

Others

Cecil (lion) Cecil ( 2002 – 2 July 2015) was a male African lion who lived primarily in the Hwange National Park in Matabeleland North, Zimbabwe. He was being studied and tracked by a research team of the University of Oxford as part of a long-term study ...

, a lion that had lived in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe, until being killed by a hunter in 2015 {{given name Welsh masculine given names Welsh feminine given names Welsh unisex given names Unisex given names English masculine given names English-language unisex given names