The names of cigar sizes rarely have anything to do with the actual size of the cigar. There aren’t any universal standards to go by, so the best you can do is keep in mind that the size thing is just a guideline. And that is no more readily apparent than after you notice that one manufacturer’s churchill is the the same size as another’s double corona.
There are, however, “classic” measurements which will, when you become more familiar with them, allow to to make some general assumptions about a cigar’s size. For instance, after you get to know the classic measurements, the next time you see the words “Double Corona” on the outside of a cigar box you’ll know right away that what’s inside is not a collection of short cigars.
But then you’ll also want to keep in mind that just because the box says “Churchills” doesn’t mean the cigars are going to be 7 inches long with a 48 ring gauge.
All you really need to remember is that cigars, in terms of their size, are generally listed by length in inches and the ring gauge, or the cigar’s girth, which is in 64ths of an inch. So, a classic Churchill is 7 inches long and 48/64ths of an inch thick.
When choosing a size, it is important that you remember that the bigger the cigar, the longer it will take to smoke it. For new cigar smokers it is a good idea to stick with Coronas and Robustos.