Discover and Shortlist Your Perfect Baby Names!

Vasily as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Vasily

Add to my Name List

The baby name Vasily is a Boy name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced vah-SEE-lee.

Vasily is Church Slavonic, Greek, Russian in Origin.

Gender: Boy
Syllables: 3
Pronunciation: vah-SEE-lee

What is the meaning of the name Vasily ?

The baby name Vasily is a boy name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced vah-SEE-lee.

Vasily is Church Slavonic, Greek, Russian in Origin.

Vasily is the standard English transliteration of Russian Василий, a Slavic form of Greek Basileios. The earliest secure form is ancient Greek Βασίλειος, an adjective built from basileus, king or sovereign, with the adjectival suffix -eios, indicating belonging to or associated with. Its literal sense is royal or kingly. Byzantine pronunciation of beta as /v/ explains the Church Slavonic and Russian initial v.

The name entered Russian naming through Orthodox devotion to Saint Basil the Great, the fourth-century bishop of Caesarea, and it appears among medieval princes of Moscow, including Vasily I, II, and III. Russian diminutives include Vasya, Vasenka, and Vasilyok; related forms occur as Vasil in Bulgarian and Macedonian, Vasile in Romanian, and Basil in English. In the United States, Vasily remains uncommon, usually tied to Russian or Eastern Orthodox family background, with Vasiliy and Vasili also seen in transliteration.

Vasily has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Vasily

Vasily Shukshin Actor · Born 1929 · Soviet Union Vasily Shukshin was a Soviet and Russian writer, actor, screenwriter, and film director best known for his stories and films about rural life. A leading figure in the Village Prose movement, he came from the Altai region and is especially remembered for works like Kalina Krasnaya, There Is Such a Lad, and Pozovi menya v dal svetluyu. Vasily II of Moscow Politician · Born 1415 · Grand Principality of Moscow Vasily II of Moscow was the Grand Prince of Moscow, best known for ruling from 1425 to 1462 during a bitter succession struggle with his uncle Yuri of Zvenigorod. Also called Vasily the Blind or the Dark, he inherited the throne from his father, Vasily I, and remained prince until his death in 1462. Vasily I of Moscow Politician · Born 1372 · Grand Principality of Moscow Vasily I of Moscow is best known as the Grand Prince of Vladimir and Moscow, ruling from 1389 until his death in 1425. Vasily I Dmitriyevich was the son and heir of Dmitry Donskoy, and he continued his father’s line as one of the key rulers of medieval Moscow.
Vasily Sokolovsky Politician · Born 1897 · Russian Empire Vasily Sokolovsky was a Soviet Marshal of the Soviet Union best known for helping plan and carry out the Battle of Berlin as Georgy Zhukov’s chief of staff during World War II. He was also a military theorist and senior Red Army commander. Vasily Livanov Actor · Born 1935 · Russia Vasily Livanov is a Soviet and Russian actor, director, screenwriter, and writer best known for playing Sherlock Holmes in the Soviet TV series The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Born in 1935, he was named People's Artist of the RSFSR in 1988 and also became widely recognized for his work in animation and film. Vasily Lanovoy Actor · Born 1934 · Russia Vasily Lanovoy was a Soviet and Russian actor best known for his acclaimed stage and screen career, especially with the Vakhtangov Theatre in Moscow. He appeared in well-known films such as Officers, Anna Karenina, and War and Peace, and he also served as president of the Artek Festival of Films for Children.

Vasily – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
CY 0 #60 1 1,632
MD Boys 0 #76 6 756
RU Boys 0 #82 1,821 12,621
KZ 0 #88 7 1,452
EE Boys 0 #113 13 2,087
RU 0 #124 70 3,641
CY Boys 0 #131 1 3,473
IQ 0 #133 1 3,533
LT Boys 0 #151 1 2,166
RS Boys 0 #154 1 2,277
HU Boys 0 #172 3 3,954
KZ Boys 0 #199 93 6,578
SI Boys 0 #211 1 3,402
BG Boys 0 #220 1 3,850
PS 0 #225 2 5,692
GR Boys 0 #267 7 6,912
IL 0 #280 3 6,291
CZ Boys 0 #294 11 6,530
JP Boys 0 #303 1 7,909
CN Boys 0 #328 4 9,639
KZ Girls 0 #332 1 5,862
PL Boys 0 #338 3 6,459
MU Boys 0 #369 1 8,477
PT Boys 0 #379 3 7,951
Finland Boys 0 #418 10 2,041
SD Boys 0 #466 1 10,523
RU Girls 0 #489 10 11,913
PA Boys 0 #504 2 9,305
CR Boys 0 #507 4 10,188
PS Boys 0 #521 28 10,655
IQ Girls 0 #525 1 11,303
IR Boys 0 #542 11 10,162
PS Girls 0 #546 2 10,981
LY 0 #556 4 12,703
KW Girls 0 #561 1 19,177
IL Boys 0 #565 43 10,983
IL Girls 0 #645 1 11,648
Finland Boys 2026 #649 34 3,552
IQ Boys 0 #690 8 13,071
CL Boys 0 #699 2 13,390
SG Boys 0 #738 2 17,960
SY 0 #767 1 11,684
KW Boys 0 #806 1 18,755
United States Boys 2023 #894 5 7,053
Spain Boys 0 #910 21 5,610
EG Boys 0 #917 9 15,035
PE Boys 0 #926 1 14,506
Germany Boys 0 #938 15 5,697
NL Boys 0 #941 11 5,873
CO Boys 0 #980 2 15,656
EG Girls 0 #1,008 2 14,742
MX Boys 0 #1,033 1 16,355
AE Boys 0 #1,139 5 22,615
MY Boys 0 #1,182 1 25,439
DZ 0 #1,233 2 20,130
TR 0 #1,253 2 19,440
ZA Boys 0 #1,271 2 25,619
IT Boys 0 #1,413 59 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,691 1 28,008

Vasily is popular in 45 countries — most recent births per country:

United States
AE
BG
CL
CN

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

People also ask about Vasily

Vasily is a unisex name, given to both boys and girls.
Vasily is a 3 syllable name, pronounced vah-SEE-lee.
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Basil, Basileios, Basilius, Basilio, Basílio and Vasil.
Somewhat — Vasily ranked #649 in Finland in 2026, and appears in official birth registries across 2 countries, placing it just outside the most common names.
Vasily ranks highest in Finland (#649 in 2026).
Yes — 8 notable people named Vasily are in our database, including Vasily Shukshin (Actor), Vasily II of Moscow (Politician), Vasily I of Moscow (Politician).