Aaron vs Cecil
Aaron and Cecilcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 1988, Aaron was ranked #53 and Cecil #271 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2023, Aaron was ranked #146 and Cecil #2813 among boys in England and Wales.
Aaron and Cecil over time
Aaron and Cecil appear together in 2 published lists, across 36 years of shared records. Aaron held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Cecil in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1966, Aaron moved ahead of Cecil in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #222 and #181 the year before became #171 and #199.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys19 shared years, 1996–2023
Aaron held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Cecil in 0.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #33 in 1996, Cecil #1889 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Aaron #146, Cecil #2813.
Republic of Ireland · Boys17 shared years, 1965–1988
Aaron held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Cecil in 1.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #53 in 1988, Cecil #181 in 1965.
The order changed in 1966: Aaron moved ahead. In 1965 they stood at #222 and #181; by 1966 that had become #171 and #199.
Most recent shared year, 1988: Aaron #53, Cecil #271.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Aaron | Cecil |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Best known as the name of Moses's elder brother and the first high priest of Israel in the Old Testament; the literal meaning of the name itself is not reliably established. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew (likely of Egyptian origin) | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛrən/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #71 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #2813 (2023) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Aaron has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew (likely of Egyptian origin)); Cecil does not have one recorded yet.
- Aaron and Cecil both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Aaron; Cecil doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Aaron
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #222 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1965–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1998 (recorded 1965–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #334 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Cecil
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #181 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1965–1988
Highest recorded position: #181 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1965 (recorded 1965–1988).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #2813 among boys in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · Boys