Basil vs Cecil
Basil 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 1978, Basil was ranked #326 and Cecil #326 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2023, Basil was ranked #1906 and Cecil #2813 among boys in England and Wales.
Basil and Cecil over time
Basil and Cecil appear together in 2 published lists, across 28 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Cecil reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Basil in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys19 shared years, 1996–2023
Basil held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Cecil in 1.
Highest recorded here: Basil #1023 in 2021, Cecil #1889 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Basil #1906, Cecil #2813.
Republic of Ireland · Boys9 shared years, 1965–1978
Basil held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Cecil in 4.
Highest recorded here: Basil #185 in 1966, Cecil #181 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1978: Basil #326, Cecil #326.
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 | Basil | Cecil |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE | GB-ENW, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #1282 (2024) | England and Wales · Boys #2813 (2023) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Basil and Cecil both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Basil
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2020
Highest recorded position: #185 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1966 (recorded 1964–2020).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1282 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · 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