Vasyl’ as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Vasyl’

What is the meaning of the name Vasyl’ ?

The baby name Vasyl’ is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈvɑ.sɪlʲ/ (approx. "VAH-sil", final l palatalized).

Vasyl’ is Ukrainian in Origin.

Vasyl’ is the Ukrainian form of a widespread Christian name ultimately from Greek Basileios, meaning “kingly” or “royal.” In Cyrillic it is Василь; the apostrophe represents the soft sign (ь) in older or scholarly transliteration, while modern Ukrainian romanization typically writes Vasyl. Related forms include Russian Vasily, Belarusian Vasil, Polish Bazyli, Bulgarian/Macedonian Vasil, Romanian Vasile, English Basil; Ukrainian diminutives include Vasylko, Vasko, and Vasylchyk.

The name entered East Slavic use with the Christianization of Kyivan Rus’ and has remained common across Ukrainian history. Its chief patron is Saint Basil the Great, whose feast (St. Basil’s Day) is marked on 1 January in the Gregorian calendar and on 14 January (Old New Year) in the Julian tradition, a popular folk holiday in Ukraine. Notable bearers include poet-dissident Vasyl Stus and chess grandmaster Vasyl Ivanchuk.

⚙ Nothing for Vasyl’ shows up in the birth registries or name datasets we track. That usually points to a very rare, regional, or newly coined name. Whichever it is, scarcely anyone else carries it.