Meaning and background
The story behind Cyril
Cyril comes from Greek Kyrillos, related to kyrios, a word for lord. The reference places the name in a substantial Christian history, including Cyril of Jerusalem, Cyril of Alexandria and the missionary Cyril associated with Methodius. It also distinguishes English, French and Czech pronunciations, which begin differently. For a dog, a family namesake or historical interest may guide the choice more directly than the root meaning. Choosing the intended language reading will keep the name’s sound consistent without flattening its history into one universal pronunciation.
- Origin
- From Greek Kyrillos, derived from kyrios, lord. Source
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Everyday moments“Cyril, come here!”
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About Cyril
Recorded as a dog’s name
Cyril appears in 3 dog licence records in the 2016 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/sɪɹəl/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the first syllable in the recorded US readings.
View dictionary notation
/sɪɹəl/ · primary stress on syllable 1S IH1 R AH0 L
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (2)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.