Dear John,

According to Reaney & Wilson, it's found as early as Domesday Book, in Herefordshire. They give: "OW _Seisill_, said to derive from Lat _Caecilius_".

Hanks & Hodges: "Welsh: from the OW personal name _Seisyllt_, apparently a mutilated form of the L name _Sextilius_, a deriv. of _Sextus_ 'Sixth' ... The spelling has, however, been modified as a result of folk etymological association with the L name _C(a)ecilius_, a deriv. of _caecus_ blind."

Morgan & Morgan, _Welsh Surnames_, has Cecil as a variant spelling of Seisyll, Seisyllt.

Best wishes,

Carole

-----Original Message-----
From: John Briggs <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2007 21:06:55 +0100
Subject: Cecil

What is the consensus on the origin of this surname?  Cottle says first 
name, from Latin Caecilius, adopted in Welsh as Sisyllt.  Is that at all 
plausible?  Was it actually a Welsh first name?  Surely the female Cecilia 
(diminutive or pet-forms: Cesse, Cissot, Sissot, Syssot, Cesselot.  Cisley 
or Cisselly are found in the 16th century) is more likely, isn't it?  There 
wasn't a male form, was there?

John Briggs

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Dr Carole Hough
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Department of English Language
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