Cedric

Frances Hodgson Burnett created three notable protagonists in her children's novels. Two of them are girls: Sara Crewe in A Little Princess and Mary Lennox in The Secret Garden. The other happens to be a boy: Cedric Errol in Little Lord Fauntleroy.

Cedric did not begin with Little Lord Fauntleroy, though. Walter Scott invented the name for his 1819 novel Ivanhoe. However, he based it on the older name Cerdic, who founded the British kingdom of Wessex in the sixth century. Cerdic likely originates from the Celtic name Ceretic, itself a form of the Welsh Caradoc. 

Ivanhoe turned Cedric into a given name in Victorian England. It surpassed 10 births for the first time in 1888, two years after the publication of Little Lord Fauntleroy. Cedric peaked in English usage during the 1890s. Its American peak came decades later, though. Cedric moved in and out of the top 1000 many times between 1893 and 1939. Afterward, the name rose to its 1970s peak in the 230s due to its then-African-American style. Cedric has declined since. It is even moving in and out of the charts again. 

Cedric has also been used in Belgium, France, New Zealand, and Switzerland. However, the name no longer ranks in any of these nations. Cedric may not a common name anywhere in the world, but its exotic English style and literary connections can still generate interest. 

STYLES:

Artistic, English, Exotic, Underused

SISTERS:

Davina, Audra, Gwendolyn, Portia, Beatrix, Margot, Sybil, Winifred

BROTHERS:

Phineas, Desmond, Byron, Hector, Casper, Reginald, Maxim, Titus

ALTERNATIVES:

Chester, Cyril, Edmond, Fergus, Hendrik, Idris, Ludovic, Rupert

FURTHER RESOURCES:

"Cedric." Names, Behind the Name, 21 Jan. 2022, https://www.behindthename.com/name/cedric. Accessed 28 May 2023.

Nickerson, Eleanor. "Cedric." Names of the Week, British Baby Names, 1 Apr. 2014, https://www.britishbabynames.com/blog/2014/01/cedric.html. Accessed 28 May 2023. 

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