NameCensus.

UK name, mostly boys

Ceejay

A masculine diminutive of the name Cecil or a phonetic spelling of the initials C.J.

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Ceejay is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Ceejay popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1951, with 12 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2011, with 17 births.

This profile covers 243 England and Wales registrations across 26 recorded years from 1997 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 71% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 250 living people in the UK are called Ceejay. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Ceejay ranked #1951 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 12 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2011, when 17 boys were registered as Ceejay.
  • Ceejay ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #704 in 2018.
  • About 250 living people in the UK are estimated to have Ceejay as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
  • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 93.8% of Ceejay registrations are for boys.

Latest rank (E&W)

#1951

2024

Births in 2024

12

Latest year

Peak year

2011

17 births

Estimated living

250

2026

Gender

Boy and girl registrations for Ceejay

In England and Wales birth records, Ceejay has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 93.8% of registrations are for boys and 6.2% are for girls.

These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.

94% boys
Boys243 (93.8%)Girls16 (6.2%)

Ceejay registered for boys

  • Ranked #1,951 in 2024
  • 12 boys registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2011 (17 births)

Ceejay registered for girls

  • Ranked #2,701 in 1998
  • 5 girls registered in 1998
  • Peak: 1996 (8 births)

Meaning

What does Ceejay mean?

The name Ceejay is a modern variation of the name CJ, which is a diminutive form of the name Cecil. Cecil has its origins in the Roman family name Caecilius, derived from the Latin word "caecus" meaning blind. This name was likely given to a member of the Caecilius family who was visually impaired or had poor eyesight.

The name Cecil gained popularity during the Middle Ages and was widespread across Europe, particularly in England and France. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cecil is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror.

While the name Cecil has a long history, the diminutive form CJ and its variant Ceejay are relatively modern creations, likely emerging in the 20th century. One of the earliest notable individuals with the name Ceejay was Ceejay Jones, an American singer and songwriter born in 1970, who rose to fame in the 1990s as a member of the R&B group Hi-Five.

Another notable figure with the name Ceejay is Ceejay Johnson, an American professional basketball player born in 1980. He played in the NBA for several teams, including the Los Angeles Clippers and the Milwaukee Bucks, during the early 2000s.

In the world of literature, Ceejay Jones is the pen name of a British author who has written several young adult novels, including "Piggies" and "Tin Star," published in the late 2000s and early 2010s.

Another individual with the name Ceejay is Ceejay Multimedia, a Canadian multimedia artist and filmmaker born in 1977. He is known for his experimental films and installations that explore themes of identity and technology.

Lastly, Ceejay McQuillan is a British actress and singer who has appeared in several stage productions, including the musicals "Cabaret" and "The Phantom of the Opera." She was born in 1987 and has been active in the entertainment industry since the early 2000s.

While the name Ceejay is a modern variation, its roots can be traced back to the ancient Roman name Caecilius, which has a rich history spanning over a thousand years across various cultures and regions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Ceejay over time

The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Ceejay in England and Wales, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Ceejay, the clearest high point is 2011. The latest England and Wales figure is 12 births in 2024, compared with 17 at the peak.

Babies born per year

BoysGirls
0491317199620102024

Decades

Ceejay by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Ceejay was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #2468 53 5
2010s #2005 112 10
2000s #2226 59 8
1990s #1780 19 3

Geography

Where Ceejay is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Ceejay. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Ceejay ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #704 in 2018.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Ceejay in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#704 in 2018

3 years of NRS records, 9 total registered

Related

Names similar to Ceejay

FAQ

Ceejay: questions and answers

How popular is the name Ceejay in the UK right now?

In 2024, Ceejay was ranked #1951 for boys in England and Wales, with 12 births registered.

When was Ceejay most popular?

The peak year on record was 2011, with 17 babies registered as Ceejay in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Ceejay?

A masculine diminutive of the name Cecil or a phonetic spelling of the initials C.J.

How many people are called Ceejay in the UK?

A total of 243 babies have been registered as Ceejay across the 26 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 9 more in Scotland.

Where is Ceejay most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Ceejay ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #704 in 2018. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.