Cedric
Cedric was the 1051st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 209 babies. Its best year was 1974, when it ranked 230th; the most babies were born in 1982 (977). Over the last ten years it has moved down 187 places. More babies were named Cedric in the 1970s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · English, Brythonic
Say it SED-rik /ˈsɛdrɪk/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,051 boys, down 82 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 209boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1982977 babies
- Total since 1880
- 42,382babies recorded
What does the name Cedric mean?
Cedric was invented by Sir Walter Scott for a Saxon lord in Ivanhoe (1819). It is probably a misreading or alteration of Cerdic, the 6th-century founder of Wessex, whose name is thought to be Brittonic. Wiktionary also mentions an alternative that Scott drew on the Welsh Cedrych. The name became popular after Cedric Errol, hero of Little Lord Fauntleroy (1886), and in the US it was most common in the 1970s.
Cerdic (Old English (from Brittonic), “name of a king of Wessex”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. The source of Scott's invented name is debated (Cerdic or Welsh Cedrych).
Related names: Cerdic.
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Cedric', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wikipedia, 'Cedric', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Nicknames for Cedric
The usual nicknames for Cedric are Ced.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ced | Traditional | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Cedrics go by each one.
Cedric popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 278 since 1946.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,051 | 209 |
| 2020 | #969 | 222 |
| 2010 | #724 | 317 |
| 2000 | #463 | 512 |
| 1990 | #377 | 612 |
| 1980 | #245 | 909 |
| 1970 | #259 | 879 |
| 1960 | #336 | 533 |
| 1950 | #589 | 133 |
| 1940 | #952 | 45 |
| 1930 | #893 | 55 |
| 1920 | #903 | 58 |
| 1910 | #1,632 | 5 |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | #1,030 | 5 |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Cedric, counting every spelling?
Cedric is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #891 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,051 for Cedric on its own. Together these spellings went to 255 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedric | 209 | #1,051 | 1,107 |
| Cedrick | 35 | #3,324 | 198 |
| Sedrick | — | — | 52 |
| Sedric | 5 | #13,568 | 35 |
| Cedrik | 6 | #10,914 | 28 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Cedric?
209 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Cedric (0.06 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Cedric born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 40 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Cedric.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Cedric?
About 36,600 people born in the US named Cedric are alive today, with a median age of 43; half are between 29 and 55. That makes Cedric mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Cedric by state
How common Cedric was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Colorado (1.8×), Missouri (1.6×), Ohio (1.6×), Washington (1.5×). In 21 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Cedric: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Cedric, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Cedric · Sibling names for Cedric
Questions about the name Cedric
What does Cedric mean?
The origin of Cedric is uncertain: the source of Scott's invented name is debated (Cerdic or Welsh Cedrych).
How popular is the name Cedric?
Cedric was the 1051st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 209 babies. Its best year was 1974, when it ranked 230th; the most babies were born in 1982 (977). Over the last ten years it has moved down 187 places. More babies were named Cedric in the 1970s than in any other decade.
Is Cedric a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Cedric in the US.
Where is Cedric most popular?
In 2021–2025, Cedric was most common in Colorado (0.23 per 1,000 boys), followed by Missouri and Ohio.