Vasiliy as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Vasiliy

What is the meaning of the name Vasiliy ?

The baby name Vasiliy is a Male name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced Russian: [vɐˈsʲilʲɪj] (va-SIL-ee); Anglicized: /vəˈsɪli/ (vuh-SIL-ee).

Vasiliy is Greek, Russian in Origin.

Vasiliy is the Russian form of the Greek name Basileios, from basileus “king,” hence the meaning “royal” or “kingly.” It entered East Slavic use through Church Slavonic and appears in Latin as Basilius and in English as Basil. Common transliterations include Vasily, Vasilij, and Vasiliy. Cognates across the region include Ukrainian Vasyl, Belarusian Vasil, Bulgarian and Macedonian Vasil, Serbian/Croatian Vasilije, Romanian Vasile, and Greek Vasileios/Vasilis; feminine counterparts include Russian Vasilisa, Bulgarian Vasilka, and Greek Vasiliki.

Usage has long been anchored in Eastern Orthodox tradition via veneration of Saint Basil the Great and, in Russia, Saint Basil the Blessed of Moscow. The name was borne by Grand Prince Vasili III and later by cultural figures such as poet Vasily Zhukovsky and painter Wassily Kandinsky. Diminutives Vasya and Vasenka are affectionate forms. Contemporary Russian use is moderate after a 20th‑century peak.