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Basil as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Basil

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The baby name Basil is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced UK: BAZ-əl (/ˈbæzəl/),US: BAY-zəl (/ˈbeɪzəl/).

Basil is Greek in Origin.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: UK: BAZ-əl (/ˈbæzəl/),US: BAY-zəl (/ˈbeɪzəl/)

What is the meaning of the name Basil ?

The baby name Basil is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced UK: BAZ-əl (/ˈbæzəl/),US: BAY-zəl (/ˈbeɪzəl/).

Basil is Greek in Origin.

Basil is the English form of Greek Basileios, from basileus “king,” hence “royal, kingly.” Related forms include Latin Basilius; Greek Vasileios/Vasilis; Russian Vasily/Vasili; Ukrainian Vasyl; Bulgarian Vasil; Romanian Vasile; French Basile; Italian and Spanish Basilio; Portuguese Basílio. Feminines include Basilia and Vasilisa; diminutives Vasya and Vasko, with Baz common in English.

Use spread through early Christianity via saints, especially Basil the Great (4th century), bishop of Caesarea, and later through Byzantine emperors Basil I and II. In the English-speaking world it saw revival in the 19th century and modest 20th-century usage (notably actor Basil Rathbone). Pronunciation varies: British BAZ-əl, North American BAY-zəl. The Arabic name Basil/Basel meaning “brave” is etymologically distinct though spelled alike in English. The culinary herb’s name comes from Greek basilikon “royal plant,” a parallel that underscores the name’s regal connotations.

Basil has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Basil

Basiliscus Politician · Born 500 · Byzantine Empire Basiliscus was most famous for serving as Eastern Roman emperor from 475 to 476. He was a Byzantine military leader who rose to power under Emperor Leo I, his brother-in-law, before briefly taking the throne himself. Basilios Bessarion Politician · Born 1403 Basilios Bessarion was a prominent 15th-century scholar and politician, best known for his efforts to reunite the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches. He played a significant role in the Council of Florence and was a key figure in the Renaissance movement, contributing to the preservation and dissemination of Greek classical texts. Basil of Trebizond Royal · Born 1315 · Byzantine Empire Basil Megas Komnenos was most famous for serving as Emperor of Trebizond from 1332 until his death in 1340. His reign was a relatively stable period during the empire’s 14th-century civil conflicts, though some of the turmoil was tied to his marriages.

Basil – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Boys 2020 #1 — 780
BN 0 #32 1 2,297
NA 0 #32 2 2,537
HT Boys 0 #34 1 903
CM 0 #54 3 2,592
LU 0 #66 1 2,830
JM 0 #74 14 3,714
MV Boys 0 #75 5 3,375
AF 0 #76 1 1,883
SD 0 #80 21 2,130
OM 0 #88 29 6,215
QA 0 #89 12 7,011
JO 0 #106 32 2,158
KW 0 #107 10 5,216
PH 0 #109 2 5,607
BN Girls 0 #114 1 5,459
IQ 0 #116 14 3,533
JO Boys 0 #117 560 7,057
Switzerland Boys 2024 #124 14 1,769
CY Boys 0 #129 3 3,473
GR 0 #129 7 3,911
BN Boys 0 #136 4 6,332
Belgium Boys 2024 #141 48 401
SD Boys 0 #144 488 10,523
BW Boys 0 #147 8 4,685
AE 0 #156 22 10,220
CR 0 #165 1 5,526
HU Boys 0 #172 3 3,954
JM Boys 0 #172 106 6,876
MT Boys 0 #177 3 4,064
Sweden Boys 2022 #181 2 1,509
PS Boys 0 #183 625 10,655
PS 0 #190 29 5,692
RU 0 #193 2 3,641
DK 0 #204 3 5,198
BG Boys 0 #219 2 3,850
LU Boys 0 #219 2 4,970
SA 0 #220 76 10,560
NA Boys 0 #226 10 6,830
NG 0 #226 39 5,926
MO Boys 0 #233 2 5,842
NA Girls 0 #237 1 7,146
IL Boys 0 #240 557 10,983
BD 0 #241 1 5,992
GR Boys 0 #243 25 6,912
GH 0 #245 4 5,396
AO Boys 0 #248 2 5,568
GR Girls 0 #248 2 6,293
PT 0 #250 1 4,161
TW Boys 0 #254 3 7,111
IL 0 #258 17 6,291
SG 0 #258 12 11,010
AF Boys 0 #273 2 3,535
JM Girls 0 #278 1 7,507
Canada Boys 2024 #294 13 2,588
CZ Boys 0 #299 7 6,530
JP Boys 0 #301 3 7,909
AL Boys 0 #303 1 5,122
SY 0 #305 691 11,684
DK Boys 0 #313 13 7,401
IQ Boys 0 #316 476 13,071
YE 0 #318 64 8,639
CN Boys 0 #324 8 9,639
GH Boys 0 #331 15 8,138
NG Boys 0 #331 1,325 16,906
KZ Girls 0 #332 1 5,862
JO Girls 0 #333 7 7,570
PL Boys 0 #339 2 6,459
QA Girls 0 #340 4 15,378
MY 0 #346 9 12,352
SD Girls 0 #354 5 7,678
HK 0 #355 3 8,483
PH Boys 0 #359 25 11,440
BR 0 #360 1 5,969
France Boys 2021 #365 23 2,865
MU Boys 0 #365 5 8,477
ZA 0 #369 79 14,421
EG 0 #378 23 6,387
PT Boys 0 #380 2 7,951
CM Boys 0 #392 170 12,054
Finland Boys 0 #410 18 2,041
OM Girls 0 #417 8 15,987
RU Boys 0 #425 81 12,621
EG Boys 0 #428 645 15,035
PH Girls 0 #429 1 13,098
Austria Boys 0 #432 11 2,180
ZA Boys 0 #449 1,218 25,619
BH 0 #465 89 17,937
AR Boys 0 #483 1 7,628
KW Boys 0 #486 296 18,755
IQ Girls 0 #493 12 11,303
OM Boys 0 #495 435 17,948
GT Boys 0 #499 1 7,625
HK Boys 0 #502 26 12,905
PA Boys 0 #502 4 9,305
CR Boys 0 #508 3 10,188
CO 0 #510 1 7,768
PA Girls 0 #518 1 9,861
RU Girls 0 #519 5 11,913
LY 0 #523 13 12,703
QA Boys 0 #530 178 18,093
PS Girls 0 #541 7 10,981
AE Girls 0 #544 10 20,968
LB 0 #551 108 13,263
CM Girls 0 #554 7 11,671
KW Girls 0 #556 6 19,177
IR Boys 0 #559 7 10,162
SA Boys 0 #591 1,796 28,008
SG Boys 0 #598 100 17,960
BD Boys 0 #602 4 10,045
BO Boys 0 #620 3 9,244
SG Girls 0 #632 1 18,916
IL Girls 0 #639 7 11,648
HK Girls 0 #650 1 16,104
AE Boys 0 #653 484 22,615
IN Girls 0 #653 2 13,121
Finland Boys 2026 #663 20 3,552
CL Boys 0 #695 6 13,390
NG Girls 0 #728 59 15,093
BR Boys 0 #784 2 12,213
United States Boys 2024 #817 76 7,044
TN 0 #863 3 13,765
Germany Boys 0 #868 85 5,697
SA Girls 0 #885 51 25,931
NL Boys 0 #893 59 5,873
United States Girls 2024 #898 19 8,487
Spain Boys 0 #908 23 5,610
CL Girls 0 #914 2 14,098
TR 0 #920 307 19,440
PE Boys 0 #922 5 14,506
EG Girls 0 #932 28 14,742
MY Boys 0 #939 173 25,439
IN Boys 0 #958 44 16,750
CO Boys 0 #980 2 15,656
MX Boys 0 #1,029 5 16,355
MY Girls 0 #1,068 5 24,821
MA 0 #1,110 19 20,986
ZA Girls 0 #1,130 12 25,928
DZ 0 #1,162 15 20,130
IT Boys 0 #1,406 66 10,046

Basil is popular in 79 countries — most recent births per country:

France
Canada
Switzerland
United States
Wallonia, Belgium

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Basil

Basil is predominantly a boy's name.
Basil is a 2 syllable name, pronounced UK: BAZ-əl (/ˈbæzəl/),US: BAY-zəl (/ˈbeɪzəl/).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Basile, Basilius, Basilio, Bazil, Bazyli and Basyl.
Across languages, Basil has these equivalents: Basile (French), Vasilis / Vasileios (Greek), Vasily / Vasili (Russian), Vasil (Bulgarian, Macedonian), Vasile (Romanian), and 3 more.
Yes, very popular — Basil ranked #1 in Ireland in 2020, and appears in official birth registries across 9 countries.
Basil ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2020).
Basil's popularity is rising significantly. It moved from #386 in 2011 to #365 in 2021 in France.
Yes — 3 notable people named Basil are in our database, including Basiliscus (Politician), Basilios Bessarion (Politician), Basil of Trebizond (Royal).