If the automorphism group is cyclic, then the Inner automorphism group is cyclic. But the inner automorphism group is isomorphic to $G/Z(G)$, and if $G/Z(G)$ is cyclic, then it is trivial. Therefore, $G=Z(G)$ so $G$ is abelian. (The argument does not require $G$ to be finite, by the by.)
For the latter:
Prop. If $H\subseteq Z(G)$ and $G/H$ is cyclic, then $G$ is abelian.
Suppose $G/H$ is cyclic, with $H\subseteq Z(G)$. Let $g\in G$ be such that $gH$ generates $G/H$. Then every $x\in G$ can be written as $x=g^kh$ for some integer $k$ and some $h\in H$. Given $x,y\in G$, we have $x=g^kh$ and $y=g^{\ell}h'$, so
$$\begin{align*}
xy &= (g^kh)(g^{\ell}h')\\
&= g^kg^{\ell}hh' &\quad&\text{since }h\in Z(G)\\
&= g^{\ell}g^kh'h\\
&= g^{\ell}h'g^kh &&\text{since }h'\in Z(G)\\
&= (g^{\ell}h')(g^kh)\\
&= yx,
\end{align*}$$
hence $G$ is abelian. QED
For more on what groups can occur as central quotients, see this previous question.
Added. Since you mention you did not know that $\mathrm{Inn}(G)\cong G/Z(G)$, let's do that too:
Define a map $G\to \mathrm{Aut}(G)$ by mapping $g\mapsto \varphi_g$, where $\varphi_g$ is "conjugation by $g$". That is, for all $x\in G$,
$\varphi_g(x) = gxg^{-1}$.
This map is a group homomorphism: if $g,h\in G$, then we want to show that $\varphi_{gh} = \varphi_g\circ\varphi_h$. To that end, let $x\in G$ be any element, and we show that $\varphi_{gh}(x) = \varphi_g(\varphi_h(x))$.
$$\varphi_{gh}(x) = (gh)x(gh)^{-1} = ghxh^{-1}g^{-1}= g(hxh^{-1})g^{-1} = \varphi_g(hxh^{-1}) = \varphi_g(\varphi_h(x)).$$
Therefore, the map $g\mapsto\varphi_g$ is a homomorphism from $G$ onto $\mathrm{Inn}(G)$. By the Isomorphism Theorem, $\mathrm{Inn}(G)$ is isomorphic to $G/N$, where $N$ is the kernel of this homomorphism.
What is $N$? $g\in N$ if and only if $\varphi_g$ is the identity element of $\mathrm{Aut}(G)$, which is the identity; that is, if and only if $\varphi_g(x)=x$ for all $x\in G$. But $\varphi_g(x)=x$ if and only if $gxg^{-1}=x$, if and only if $gx = xg$. So $\varphi_g(x) = x$ if and only if $g$ commutes with $x$. Thus, $\varphi_g(x)=x$ for all $x$ if and only if $g$ commutes with all $x$, if and only if $g\in Z(G)$. Thus, $N=Z(G)$, so $\mathrm{Inn}(G)\cong G/Z(G)$, as claimed.
For $C_2$ the minimum poset is of course the 2-element antichain.
By direct inspection of all posets of at most 12 elements (slightly more than 1 billion posets, code for generating them can be found here), we find that:
$C_3$ first appears in a poset of 9 elements. There is one such poset:
$C_4$ first appears in posets of 12 elements. There are 7 such posets:
$C_5$ does not appear in any poset with 12 elements or less, and neither do any $C_n$ for $n \ge 7$.
Interestingly, $C_6$ first appears already in posets of 11 elements, with 7 cases. The first case corresponds to the OP's construction (joining a 2-element poset for $C_2$ on top of a 9-element poset for $C_3$).
Best Answer
Four is the smallest. First note that we four is a lower bound. Indeed, as we do not allow total element, we have at least two minima and two maxima and therefore at least four elements.
Define $P=\{0, 1, \tilde{0}, \tilde{1}\}$ with the partial order $0<1$, $0<\tilde{1}$ and $\tilde{0}<\tilde{1}$. This contains no total element as $0,\tilde{0}$ and $1, \tilde{1}$ are not comparable (and it is clearly connected). This has trivial automorphism group. Indeed, $0$ is comparable to both maximal elements, but $\tilde{0}$ compares only to one maximal element. Thus, $0, \tilde{0}$ get mapped to themselves (as they are minimal elements the only other possibility would be to swap them). The same argument shows that $1, \tilde{1}$ get mapped to themselves.