Explore the Family Name Cecil
The meaning of Cecil
Welsh (Monmouthshire): from the Old Welsh personal name Seisyllt, sometimes wrongly said to derive from the Latin name Caecilius (see Sisley). The most frequent modern spelling is a Renaissance attempt to connect the surname with Caecilius in the English pronunciation of its time. The Welsh name is more probably, but not definitely, from the Latin name Sextilius, a derivative of sextus ‘sixth’. History: The great and powerful English Cecil family first came to prominence with David Cecil, a Monmouthshire gentleman who espoused the cause of Henry Tudor and came to court in London after the latter became king in 1485. His grandson William Cecil, Lord Burghley (1520–98), was Elizabeth I’s chief adviser for 40 years, and his descendants have remained politically powerful and culturally influential in Britain ever since. They were originally minor Welsh gentry; their name is found in a variety of forms, including Sitsylt, Ceyssel, and Sisseld.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Cecil in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, as of 2010, the surname Cecil has slipped slightly in popularity, ranking 3004, down 7.13% from its rank of 2804 in 2000. Despite this decline in rank, the number of individuals carrying the Cecil surname actually saw a modest increase of 1.56%, with a count of 11941 in 2010 compared to 11758 in 2000. However, when scaled to the proportion per 100,000 people, there was a decrease of -7.11, from 4.36 in 2000 to 4.05 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,804 | #3,004 | -7.13% |
| Count | 11,758 | 11,941 | 1.56% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.36 | 4.05 | -7.11% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Cecil
In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some shifts between 2000 and 2010. There was a significant increase in the percentage of individuals with the Cecil surname identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and Black (49.32%, 62.50%, and 11.01% respectively). Those identifying as two or more races also saw an increase of 37.38%. On the other hand, there was a slight decrease of 2.12% in those identifying as White, dropping from 92.51% in 2000 to 90.55% in 2010. The proportion of those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native also decreased by 10.00%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 92.51% | 90.55% | -2.12% |
| Black | 3.45% | 3.83% | 11.01% |
| Hispanic | 1.44% | 2.34% | 62.5% |
| Two or More Races | 1.07% | 1.47% | 37.38% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.73% | 1.09% | 49.32% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.8% | 0.72% | -10% |
Cecil ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Cecil is British & Irish, which comprises 55.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (26.1%) and Eastern European (4.2%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, Indigenous American, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 55.8% |
| French & German | 26.1% |
| Eastern European | 4.2% |
| Other | 13.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Cecil
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Cecil have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 88.40% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 88.40% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 88.40% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 88.40% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 87.70% |
What Cecil haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Cecil is R-Z326, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z326 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L48 and R-P312, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Brockway, Conover, Kidwell, Salyer, Devore, Lemieux, Gurley, Salyers, Youngblood, Hallman.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Cecil surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Your paternal lineage may be linked to King Louis XVI
The rule of France by men of the House of Bourbon began with King Henri IV in 1589 C.E. and continued until the beheading of his direct paternal descendant King Louis XVI in 1793. Several years ago, researchers analyzed a mummified head and a blood-soaked cloth that they believed might belong to the two kings, and concluded that the royal paternal line belonged to haplogroup G. In a more recent study, however, a different set of researchers tested three living men who are direct descendants of the Bourbon kings. Their efforts revealed that the male lineage of the House of Bourbon is actually a branch of haplogroup R-M405.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Cecil have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Cecil" Surname 38.4%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Cecil" Surname 29.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Cecil" Surname 26.5%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Cecil" Surname 22.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Cecil?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Cecil are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition