Gender Masculine
Pronounced Pron. /ˈsɪɹ.əl/(English) /si.ʁil/(French) /ˈt͡sɪ.rɪl/(Czech)  [key·simplify]

Meaning & History

From the Greek name Κύριλλος (Kyrillos), which was derived from Greek κύριος (kyrios) meaning "lord", a word used frequently in the Greek Bible to refer to God or Jesus.

This name was borne by a number of important saints, including Cyril of Jerusalem, a 4th-century bishop and Doctor of the Church, and Cyril of Alexandria, a 5th-century theologian. Another Saint Cyril was a 9th-century Greek missionary to the Slavs, who is credited with creating the Glagolitic alphabet with his brother Methodius in order to translate the Bible into Slavic. The Cyrillic alphabet, named after him, is descended from Glagolitic.

This name has been especially well-used in Eastern Europe and other places where Orthodox Christianity is prevalent. It came into general use in England in the 19th century.

Related Names

Rootkyrios
VariantCyrille(French)
DiminutiveCy(English)
Feminine FormsKyrie, Cyrilla(English)
Other Languages & CulturesCyrillus, Kyriakos, Kyrillos(Ancient Greek) Kiril(Bulgarian) Cyriel(Flemish) Kyriakos(Greek) Ciriaco, Cirillo(Italian) Cyriacus(Late Roman) Kirils(Latvian) Kiril, Kire, Kiro(Macedonian) Chiril(Moldovan) Cyryl(Polish) Cirilo, Ciríaco(Portuguese) Kirill(Russian) Ciril(Slovene) Ciriaco, Cirilo, Ciríaco(Spanish) Kyrylo(Ukrainian)

Popularity

People think this name is

classic   mature   formal   upper class   wholesome   strong   refined   strange   serious  

Name Days

Slovakia: July 5

Images

Fresco depicting Saint Cyril of JerusalemFresco depicting Saint Cyril of Jerusalem

Categories

Entry updated April 23, 2024