boy's name
Cyril
SIH-ril
- Origin Greek
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 101,782
Ireland
#867
2012 births
Cyril means lord, and the man who carried it invented an alphabet — Cyrillic is named for the ninth-century missionary, though the script we call by his name was largely devised by his followers rather than by him.
- Cyril is a name of Greek origin.
- Peaked in France in 1973, when 4,500 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 29,475 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1911.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Cyril over time
Births per decade in France, 1910s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 10 |
| 1920s | 20 |
| 1930s | 15 |
| 1940s | 55 |
| 1950s | 280 |
| 1960s | 3,970 |
| 1970s | 35,845 |
| 1980s | 29,815 |
| 1990s | 13,705 |
| 2000s | 3,790 |
| 2010s | 820 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 115 |
What Cyril means
Cyril means lord, or master. The Greek kyrios is the ordinary word for a lord, and it is the term the Greek Bible uses to render the divine name.
Where Cyril comes from
Cyril is the Greek Kyrillos, from kyrios — a lord or master, and the word the Septuagint uses where Hebrew has the divine name, which is why kyrie eleison means Lord have mercy. Saint Cyril and his brother Methodius devised the Glagolitic alphabet in the 860s to write Slavonic; the script now called Cyrillic was developed shortly afterwards by their students and named in his honor rather than by his hand. Russian, Bulgarian, Serbian and Ukrainian all use it.
Cyril in use
Cyril peaked in France in 1973, when 4,500 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It now ranks 1675th in France on 20 births, 3164th in the United States on 38 and 4118th in England and Wales, across 101,782 lifetime births in four of the seven markets we track. Our records carry it from 1880.
How popular is Cyril?
In 2025, Cyril was given to 20 babies in France. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Cyril is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Cyril
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Cyril also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Cyril over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Cyril in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Cyril
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Cyril — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Cyril
What does the name Cyril mean?
Lord or master — the Greek kyrios.
Did Cyril invent the Cyrillic alphabet?
Not directly. He and Methodius devised Glagolitic; their students developed Cyrillic and named it for him.
Is kyrie eleison related?
Yes — the same word, meaning Lord have mercy.
How popular is Cyril?
1675th in France, down from a 1973 peak of 4,500 births.
Is Cyril a girl's or a boy's name?
Cyril is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Cyril?
Cyril has 2 syllables.
Is Cyril a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Cyril currently ranks #1,675 in France. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.