Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1916

Cyril

Gender Boy · 1% girls Rank 2025 #3,143 Trend ↓ Falling 17%
Rank 2025
#3,143
among boys · ↓138 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
38
named Cyril · -7% vs 2024
How common
1 in 44,949
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1916
338 babies
All-time total
12,131
#1,083 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Cyril popularity over time

12,131 babies have been named Cyril since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.130.250.380.518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 62 62 6 – #554
1890s – 273 273 27 +340% #278
1900s – 429 429 43 +57% #263
1910s 38 2,209 2,247 225 +424% #283
1920s 29 2,673 2,702 270 +20% #323
1930s 10 1,423 1,433 143 -47% #398
1940s 10 1,041 1,051 105 -27% #532
1950s – 845 845 85 -20% #741
1960s – 613 613 61 -27% #850
1970s 5 467 472 47 -23% #1,103
1980s 5 449 454 45 -4% #1,158
1990s – 421 421 42 -7% #1,593
2000s – 447 447 45 +6% #1,971
2010s – 432 432 43 -3% #2,240
2020s (to 2025) – 250 250 42 -4% #2,594

Where Cyril is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 37 0.02 outside top 500
2027 36 0.02 outside top 500
2028 35 0.02 outside top 500
2029 34 0.02 outside top 500
2030 34 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Cyril

Cyril is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,143 in 2025 with 38 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 12,131 American babies have been named Cyril. Its peak came in 1916, when 338 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1910s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Cyril stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Cyril?

The median living Cyril is about 50 years old; half are between 25 and 71. An estimated 4,300 people named Cyril are alive in the United States today.

median 50 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Cyril year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 38 #3,143
2024 – – 41 #3,005
2023 – – 36 #3,306
2022 – – 44 #2,882
2021 – – 50 #2,594
2020 – – 41 #2,892
2019 – – 41 #2,954
2018 – – 61 #2,240
2017 – – 28 #3,794
2016 – – 42 #2,842
2015 – – 42 #2,819
2014 – – 45 #2,673
2013 – – 44 #2,677
2012 – – 42 #2,827
2011 – – 41 #2,863
2010 – – 46 #2,643
2009 – – 40 #2,959
2008 – – 48 #2,593
2007 – – 42 #2,823
2006 – – 47 #2,547
2005 – – 44 #2,535
2004 – – 44 #2,497
2003 – – 39 #2,584
2002 – – 41 #2,434
2001 – – 50 #2,091
2000 – – 52 #1,971
1995 – – 44 #1,921
1990 – – 49 #1,665
1985 – – 41 #1,573
1980 – – 36 #1,628
1975 – – 48 #1,232
1970 – – 55 #1,103
1965 – – 59 #957
1960 – – 76 #870
1955 – – 78 #830
1950 – – 82 #758
1945 – – 89 #642
1940 – – 121 #532
1935 – – 129 #505
1930 5 #4,695 211 #398
1925 7 #4,108 267 #364
1920 5 #5,144 277 #355
1915 – – 273 #310
1910 – – 60 #319
1905 – – 38 #325
1900 – – 41 #339
1895 – – 21 #429
1890 – – 16 #463
1885 – – 12 #555
1880 – – 5 #941

Famous people named Cyril

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Cyril Ramaphosa Cyril Ramaphosa President of South Africa since 2018 b. 1952 · Contemporary
  2. 2 Cyril Cusack Cyril Cusack Irish actor (1910–1993) Contemporary
  3. 3 Cyril of Alexandria Cyril of Alexandria Patriarch of Alexandria from 412 to 444 376–444 · Antiquity
  4. 4 Cyril Radcliffe, 1st Viscount Radcliffe Cyril Radcliffe, 1st Viscount Radcliffe British Viscount (1899–1977) 19th century
  5. 5 Cyril of Jerusalem Cyril of Jerusalem Christian theologian, bishop, and saint (c. 313 – 386) Antiquity
  6. 6 Cyril Abiteboul Cyril Abiteboul French motor racing engineer and manager (born 1977) Contemporary
  7. 7 Cyril Knowles England international footballer (1944–1991) Contemporary
  8. 8 Cyril Raffaelli Cyril Raffaelli French martial artist b. 1974 · Contemporary
  9. 9 Cyril Lucaris Cyril Lucaris Six-time Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 1612 to 1638 1572–1638 · 16th century
  10. 10 Cyril M. Kornbluth Cyril M. Kornbluth American science fiction author (1923–1958) Contemporary
  11. 11 Cyril Montana Cyril Montana French writer b. 1969 · Contemporary
  12. 12 Cyril Scott Cyril Scott English composer and writer (1879–1970) 19th century
  13. 13 Cyril Domoraud Cyril Domoraud Ivorian footballer (born 1971) Contemporary
  14. 14 Cyril Théréau Cyril Théréau French footballer (born 1983) Contemporary
  15. 15 Cyril Collard French author, filmmaker, composer, musician and actor 1957–1993 · Contemporary
  16. 16 Cyril Suk Czech tennis player and official b. 1967 · Contemporary
  17. 17 Cyril Norman Hinshelwood Cyril Norman Hinshelwood British Nobel laureate and chemist (1897–1967) 19th century
  18. 18 Cyril Jackson South African astronomer 1903–1988 · Contemporary
  19. 19 Cyril Lemoine Cyril Lemoine Road bicycle racer b. 1983 · Contemporary
  20. 20 Cyril Dessel Cyril Dessel French cyclist b. 1974 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Cyril, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Cyril?

The median living Cyril is about 50 years old. Half of all living Cyrils are between 25 and 71 years old.

How many people named Cyril are alive today?

An estimated 4,300 people named Cyril are alive in the United States, based on 12,131 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Cyril in 2025?

Cyril ranked #3,143 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 38 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Cyril?

12,131 babies have been named Cyril in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Cyril most popular?

Cyril peaked in 1916, when 338 newborns received the name.

Is Cyril a boy or girl name?

Cyril is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 99% of babies with the name.

Is the name Cyril rising or falling?

Cyril has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Cyril become more popular?

Cyril is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 34 boys named Cyril in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Cyril?

Well-known people named Cyril include Cyril Ramaphosa (politician), Cyril Cusack (actor), Cyril of Alexandria (physician).

Names like Cyril

Names that sound and feel close to Cyril: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Cyril with similar names → More names starting with C →