Cedric

Cedric is a masculine given name used in English-speaking countries and, with a diacritic, in French as Cédric. The name’s origin is uncertain. It is often linked to the Old English name Cerdic, a king of Wessex, or to a fictional creation by Sir Walter Scott in his 1820 novel Ivanhoe, where Cedric the Saxon is a central character. Because of Scott’s popularity, Cedric entered wider circulation in the 19th century and has remained in use since, though it has not reached high levels of popularity.

Notable people and characters named Cedric include Cedric the Entertainer (Cedric Antonio Kyles, born 1964), an American comedian and actor; Cedric Bixler-Zavala (born 1974), American musician known for The Mars Volta and At the Drive-In; and Cedric Yarbrough (born 1978), American actor and comedian. In fiction, Cedric Diggory is a prominent character in J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, a Hogwarts student and Triwizard Tournament champion.

In francophone contexts, Cédric is a common given name, with numerous people in France and other French-speaking regions bearing the form. The name remains in use in English-speaking countries as well, and individuals named Cedric may be nicknamed Ced in informal settings.