Cecil vs Christopher
Cecil and Christophercompared 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, Cecil was ranked #271 and Christopher #16 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2023, Cecil was ranked #2813 and Christopher #187 among boys in England and Wales.
Cecil and Christopher over time
Cecil and Christopher appear together in 2 published lists, across 37 years of shared records. Christopher held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Cecil in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys19 shared years, 1996–2023
Cecil held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Christopher in 19.
Highest recorded here: Cecil #1889 in 2000, Christopher #25 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Cecil #2813, Christopher #187.
Republic of Ireland · Boys18 shared years, 1965–1988
Cecil held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Christopher in 18.
Highest recorded here: Cecil #181 in 1965, Christopher #16 in 1988.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1988: Cecil #271, Christopher #16.
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 | Cecil | Christopher |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | From Late Greek Christophoros, combining 'Christos' (Christ) with 'phero' ('to bear') — 'bearing Christ'. Associated with the legend of Saint Christopher carrying the young Jesus across a river. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Greek |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈkɹɪs.tə.fəɹ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #2813 (2023) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #121 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 65/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 58/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Christopher has a recorded origin (Greek); Cecil does not have one recorded yet.
- Cecil has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Christopher.
- A meaning is recorded for Christopher; Cecil doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
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
Christopher
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #306 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2014
Highest recorded position: #2 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1985 (recorded 1952–2014).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #311 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys