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Cecil Family History

Cecil Surname Meaning

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’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Cecil family from?

You can see how Cecil families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Cecil family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Cecil families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 224 Cecil families living in London. This was about 36% of all the recorded Cecil's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Cecil families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Cecil surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Cecil ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Motor Driver and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Cecil. 8% of Cecil men worked as a Motor Driver and 74% of Cecil women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Cecil were General Labourer and Housekeeper.

View Census Data for Cecil | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • Motor Driver
    8%
  • French Polisher
    8%
  • Retired
    8%
  • General Labourer
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    74%
  • Private Means
    8%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Housekeeper
    2%

What Cecil family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 56,000 census records available for the last name Cecil. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Cecil census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Cecil

Passenger Lists

There are 4,000 immigration records available for the last name Cecil. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Cecil immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 16,000 military records available for the last name Cecil. For the veterans among your Cecil ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Cecil military records

You've only scratched the surface of Cecil family history

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What is the average Cecil lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Cecil life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1951, and highest in 1988. The average life expectancy for Cecil in 1944 was 41, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Cecil

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Cecil ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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