Cecil

  • [ SEE-səl, SES-əl ]
  • English
From the Roman name Caecilius (see CECILIA). This was the name of a 3rd-century saint, a companion of Saint Cyprian. Though it was in use during the Middle Ages in England, it did not become common until the 19th century when it was given in honour of the noble Cecil family, who had been prominent since the 16th century. Their surname was derived from the Welsh given name Seisyll, which was derived from the Roman name Sextilius, a derivative of SEXTUS.

CECILIA   female   English, Italian, Spanish, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Dutch, German
Latinate feminine form of the Roman family name Caecilius, which was derived from Latin caecus "blind". Saint Cecilia was a semi-legendary 2nd- or 3rd-century martyr who was sentenced to die because she refused to worship the Roman gods. After attempts to suffocate her failed, she was beheaded. She was later regarded as the patron saint of music and musicians.

Due to the popularity of the saint, the name became common in the Christian world during the Middle Ages. The Normans brought it to England, where it was commonly spelled Cecily - the Latinate form Cecilia came into use in the 18th century.
SEXTUS   male   Ancient Roman
Roman praenomen, or given name, which meant "sixth" in Latin. It was traditionally given to the sixth child.
EQUIVALENTS
ANCIENT ROMAN: Caecilius
ITALIAN: Cecilio
PORTUGUESE: Cecilio
SPANISH: Cecilio
FEMININE FORMS
ANCIENT ROMAN: Caecilia
CROATIAN: Cecilija, Cila
CZECH: Cecílie, Cecilie
DANISH: Cecilia, Cecilie, Cille, Silje, Sille
DUTCH: Cécile, Cecilia, Cilla, Silke
ENGLISH: Cece, Cecelia, Cecilia, Cecily, Celia, Cicely, Cissy, Shayla, Sheelagh, Sheila, Shelagh, Shelia, Shyla, Sissie, Sissy
FINNISH: Cecilia, Silja
FRENCH: Cécile
GERMAN: Cäcilia, Cäcilie, Caecilia, Cecilia, Silke, Zilla
HUNGARIAN: Cecília, Cili
IRISH: Sheila, Síle
ITALIAN: Cecilia
NORWEGIAN: Cecilia, Cecilie, Silje
POLISH: Cecylia
PORTUGUESE: Cecília
RUSSIAN: Tsetsiliya
SCOTTISH: Sìleas
SLOVAK: Cecília
SLOVENE: Cecilija, Cila, Cilka
SPANISH: Cecilia
SWEDISH: Cecilia, Cilla
OTHER FORMS
ANCIENT CELTIC: Seisyll
ANCIENT ROMAN: Sextilius, Sextus
ITALIAN: Sesto