Cedric () is a given name invented by

Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European literature, European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'' (18 ...

in the 1819 novel ''

Ivanhoe ''Ivanhoe: A Romance'' ( ) by Walter Scott is a historical novel published in three volumes, in December 1819, as one of the Waverley novels. It marked a shift away from Scott's prior practice of setting stories in Scotland and in the more ...

''.

Etymology

The invented name is based on ''

Cerdic Cerdic ( ; ) is described in the ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' as a leader of the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, being the founder and first king of Wessex, reigning from around 519 to 534 AD. Subsequent kings of Wessex were each claimed by the ...

'', the name of a 6th-century

Anglo-Saxon The Anglo-Saxons, in some contexts simply called Saxons or the English, were a Cultural identity, cultural group who spoke Old English and inhabited much of what is now England and south-eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. They traced t ...

king (itself from Brittonic '' Coroticus'').

Popularity

The name was not popularly used until the children's book ''

Little Lord Fauntleroy ''Little Lord Fauntleroy'' is a children's novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. It was published as a serial in ''St. Nicholas Magazine'' from November 1885 to October 1886, then as a book by Charles Scribner's Sons, Scribner's (the publisher of ...

'' by

Frances Hodgson Burnett Frances Eliza Hodgson Burnett (24 November 1849 – 29 October 1924) was a British-American novelist and playwright. She is best known for the three children's novels ''Little Lord Fauntleroy'' (1886), ''A Little Princess'' (1905), a ...

was published in 1885 to 1886, the protagonist of which is called Cedric Errol. The book was highly successful, causing a fashion trend in children's formal dress in America and popularized the given name. People named Cedric born in the years following the novel's publication include British naval officer

Cedric Holland Cedric Swinton Holland CB (13 October 1889 – 11 May 1950) was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the First and Second World Wars, rising to the rank of vice-admiral. Holland was born the son of an admiral, and he followed his ...

(1889–1950), American war pilot Cedric Fauntleroy (1891–1973), Irish art director Austin Cedric Gibbons (1893–1960) and British actor

Cedric Hardwicke Sir Cedric Webster Hardwicke (19 February 1893 – 6 August 1964) was an English stage and film actor whose career spanned over 50 years. His theatre work included notable performances in productions of the plays of Shakespeare and Shaw, and hi ...

(1893–1964). The name has ranked among the top 1,000 names for boys in the United States at different points since 1903. It ranked 958th on the popularity chart in 2022. It is a name used for both sexes in French-speaking countries. It ranked among the top 500 names for boys in France between 1960 and 2010. It also ranked among the most used names for girls in France between 1966 and 1998. It was among the 100 most used names for boys in

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

between 1980 and 2013. It ranked among the most popular names for children of both sexes in

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

at different points in the 1990s and in the 2000s. It was among the top 100 names for boys in Switzerland between 1998 and 2004.

Usage

Cedric Diggory The following is a list of characters from the ''Harry Potter'' series. Each character appears in at least one ''Harry Potter''–related book or story by J. K. Rowling. These books and stories include the seven original ''Harry Potter'' nov ...

is a character in the ''

Harry Potter ''Harry Potter'' is a series of seven Fantasy literature, fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young Magician (fantasy), wizard, Harry Potter (character), Harry Potter, and his friends ...

'' novel series by J.K. Rowling and

films A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of Visual arts, visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are gen ...

based on the novels. The name was also applied to

Nissan is a Japanese multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer headquartered in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. The company sells its vehicles under the ''Nissan'' and ''Infiniti'' brands, and formerly the ''Datsun'' brand, with in-house ...

executive car Executive car is a British term for a large car, and is considered equivalent to the European E-segment and American full-size classifications. Executive cars are larger than compact executive cars (and the non-luxury equivalent mid-size cars ...

between 1960 and 2004 (private use) and 2015 (taxi) as

Nissan Cedric The is a large automobile produced by Nissan Motors, Nissan from 1960 to 2015. It was developed to provide upscale transportation, competing with the Prince Skyline and Prince Gloria, Gloria which were later merged into the Nissan family. In late ...

. For the

Moto G5 Moto G5 (stylized as moto g5) is a series of Android (operating system), Android smartphones developed by Motorola Mobility, a subsidiary of Lenovo. It is the fifth generation of the Moto G family. Announced as successors to the Moto G4, they wer ...

smartphone A smartphone is a mobile phone with advanced computing capabilities. It typically has a touchscreen interface, allowing users to access a wide range of applications and services, such as web browsing, email, and social media, as well as multi ...

was Cedric as codename applied.

People

Cédric Bah Cédric Bah (born 11 May 1994) is an Ivorian professional basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary ...

(born 1994), Ivorian basketball player *

Cédric Bakambu Cédric Bakambu (born 11 April 1991) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward or a winger for La Liga club Real Betis and the DR Congo national team. Bakambu made his professional debut for Sochaux in 2010, and played 107 offi ...

(born 1991), French-Congolese football player * Cedric "CJ" Baxter (born 2005), American football player *

Cedric Belfrage Cedric Henning Belfrage (8 November 1904 – 21 June 1990) was an English film critic, journalist, writer and political activist. He is best remembered as a co-founder of the radical US weekly ''National Guardian''. Later Belfrage was referenced ...

(1904–1990), British writer * Cedric Benson (1982–2019), American football player *

Cedric Bixler-Zavala Cedric Bixler-Zavala (born November 4, 1974) is an American musician. He has been the lead singer and lyricist of the progressive rock band the Mars Volta since its inception in 2001. He was the lead singer and only constant member of the post-ha ...

(born 1974), American musician * Cedric Bozeman (born 1983), American basketball player * Cedric Brooks (1943–2013), Jamaican musician *

Cedric Ceballos Cedric Zelos Ceballos (born August 2, 1969) is an American former professional basketball player. As a small forward, he played mostly for the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers, later finishing his National Basketball Association (NBA) care ...

(born 1969), American basketball player *Cedric Cormier (born 1979), American football player *

Cedric Dempsey Cedric Warren Dempsey (April 14, 1932 – April 5, 2025) was an American sports administrator who became the third executive director of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) from 1994 to 2003. Before leaving the post in 2002, Demp ...

(1932–2025), American sports executive * Cedric Gervais (born 1979), French disc jockey *

Cedric Gibbons Austin Cedric Gibbons (March 23, 1890 – July 26, 1960) was an American Art director#In film, art director for the film industry. He also made a significant contribution to motion picture theater architecture from the 1930s to 1950s. Gibbons de ...

(1893–1960), Irish-born American art director * Cedric Glover (born 1965), American politician *

Cédric Gracia Cédric Gracia (born 23 March 1978 in Pau, France) is a French mountain biker, who now lives in Andorra. Career He started his career as an athlete at 6 years old as a BMX rider and then a freestyle ski pro. Cedric Gracia, years later, became ...

(born 1978), French cyclist * Cedric Gray (born 2002), American football player * Cedric van der Gun (born 1979), Dutch footballer * Cedric "K-Ci" Hailey (born 1969), American singer *

(1893–1964), British actor * Cédric Heymans (born 1978), French rugby player *

(1889–1950), British naval officer * Cedric Johnson (born 2002), American football player * Cédric Kanté (born 1979), French football player *

Cédric Klapisch Cédric Klapisch ( ; born 4 September 1961) is a French film director, screenwriter and producer. Life and career Klapisch was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine. He is from a Jewish family; his maternal grandparents were deported to ...

(born 1961), French film director * Cedric Kyles (born 1964), aka Cedric the Entertainer, American actor and comedian * Cedric Maake (born 1965), South African serial killer and rapist * Cédric Matéta Nkomi (born 1992) French-Congolese Musician * Cedric Maxwell (born 1955), American basketball player * Cedric McKinnon (1968–2016), American football player * Cédric Michaud (born 1976), French skater * Cédric Mongongu (born 1989), Congolese football player *

Cedric Morris Sir Cedric Lockwood Morris, 9th Baronet (11 December 1889 – 8 February 1982) was a British artist, Visual arts education, art teacher and plantsman. He was born in Swansea in South Wales, but worked mainly in East Anglia. As an artist he is be ...

(1889–1982), Welsh painter * Cedric Mullins (born 1994), American baseball player *

Cedric Nicolas-Troyan Cedric Nicolas-Troyan (born 9 March 1969) is a French visual effects artist and film director. In 2013 he earned an Academy Awards, Academy Award nomination for Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, Best Visual Effects for his role as visual ef ...

(born 1969), French-American film director * Cedric Oglesby (born 1977), American football player * Cédric Pénicaud (born 1971), French swimmer * Cédric Perrin (born 1974), French politician * Cédric Pioline (born 1969), French tennis player *

Cedric Price Cedric Price FRIBA (11 September 1934 – 10 August 2003) was an English architect and influential teacher and writer on architecture. Early life and education The son of the architect A.G. Price, who worked with Harry Weedon, Price was b ...

(1934–2003), British architect *

Cedric Richmond Cedric Levan Richmond (born September 13, 1973) is an American attorney, politician, and political advisor who is serving as senior advisor to the Democratic National Committee. Richmond was previously a senior advisor to the president and direct ...

(born 1973), American politician *

Cedric Robinson Cedric James Robinson (November 5, 1940 – June 5, 2016) was an American professor in the Department of Black Studies and the Department of Political Science at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). He headed the Department of Bla ...

(1940–2016), American professor * Cedric Robinson (guide) (1933–2021), British guide and fisherman * Cedric Smith, several people * Cédric Soares (born 1991), Portuguese football player * Cédric Taymans (born 1975), Belgian judoka * Cedric Tillman (disambiguation), multiple people * Cedric Thornberry (1936–2014), Northern Irish international lawyer and Assistant-Secretary-General of the United Nations * Cédric Van der Elst (born 1980), Belgian soccer player *

Cédric Villani Cédric Patrice Thierry Villani (; born 5 October 1973) is a French politician and mathematician working primarily on partial differential equations, Riemannian geometry and mathematical physics. He was awarded the Fields Medal in 2010, and he ...

(born 1973), French mathematician *

Cedric Yarbrough Cedric Yarbrough (; born March 20, 1973) is an American actor and comedian. He has starred in the series ''Reno 911!'' as Deputy S. Jones and as Kenneth on the ABC sitcom '' Speechless'', as well as voicing Gerald Fitzgerald on the Netflix comedy ...

(born 1973), American comedian and actor

Fiction

*Cedric the Saxon (Cedric of Rotherwood), character in the 1819 novel ''

'' by Walter Scott *Cedric Errol, character in the 1886 novel ''

'' by Frances Hodgson Burnett * Cédric, character in the Franco-Belgian comic book ''Cédric'' by Laudec and Cauvin *Cedric Crackenthorpe, character in the '' 4.50 from Paddington'' by Agatha Christie *Cedric, character in the 1992 film '' Home Alone 2: Lost in New York'' *

Cedric Daniels Cedric Daniels is a fictional character on the HBO drama ''The Wire'', portrayed by Lance Reddick. Daniels is well-regarded in the Baltimore Police Department for making his subordinates focus on decent police work and quality arrests. He occasi ...

, character in the television series ''

The Wire ''The Wire'' is an American Crime fiction, crime Drama (film and television), drama television series created and primarily written by the American author and former police reporter David Simon for the cable network HBO. The series premiered o ...

'' *

, character in the ''

'' series * Cedric (''W.I.T.C.H.''), character in the Italian comic book series ''W.I.T.C.H.'' *Cedric Sneer, character in ''The Raccoons'', a Canadian animated television series *Cedric the Owl, character in the ''

King's Quest ''King's Quest'' is a graphic adventure game series, released between 1980 and 2016 and created by the American software company Sierra Entertainment. It is widely considered a classic series from the golden era of adventure games. Following ...

'' adventure game series and other

Sierra Entertainment Sierra Entertainment, Inc. (formerly On-Line Systems and Sierra On-Line, Inc.) was an American video game developer and Video game publisher, publisher founded in 1979 by Ken Williams (game developer), Ken and Roberta Williams. The company is ...

video games *Cedric the Sorcerer, character in the ''

Sofia the First ''Sofia the First'' is an American animated fantasy children's television series created and developed by Craig Gerber (creator), Craig Gerber for Disney Television Animation and Disney Jr. The series follows a young peasant girl named Sofia, ...

'' animated TV series *Cedric K. Ros—, character in the manga '' Black Butler'' by Yana Toboso *Cedric Brandel, character in the anime ''Black Butler''

References

{{given name English masculine given names Masculine given names