Basil Boy

Popularity: #864 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: BAZ-uhl //ˈbæz.əl//

Origin: Greek; Latin

Meaning: Greek: royal; Latin: kingly

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Basil originates from the Greek word "basileus," meaning "king" or "royal." This term was used in ancient Greece to denote a ruler or sovereign, and it is derived from the earlier Greek root "basis," which means "foundation" or "base." The name was adopted into Latin as "Basilicus," which also carries the connotation of royalty or nobility. The transition into English occurred through the Old French form "Basile," which was used in medieval contexts, particularly in reference to saints and notable figures.

Historically, the name Basil has significant associations with early Christian saints, most notably Saint Basil the Great, who lived in the 4th century. He was a prominent theologian and one of the Cappadocian Fathers, instrumental in the development of Christian monasticism and liturgical practices.

His influence is reflected in the Eastern Orthodox Church, where he is celebrated for his contributions to Christian doctrine and the formulation of the Nicene Creed. The name gained further prominence through the translation of the Bible into various languages, including the King James Bible in the early 17th century, where the name appears in reference to biblical figures and contexts.

Culturally, the name Basil has been associated with qualities of leadership and authority, resonating with its royal etymology. In various traditions, it has been linked to the idea of sanctity and wisdom, particularly due to the legacy of Saint Basil.

The name has also been adopted in various forms across different cultures, with diminutives such as "Baz" appearing in some contexts. Overall, the enduring significance of the name Basil reflects its deep historical roots and the cultural values associated with kingship and piety.

Famous people named Basil

In this section, you will find notable people named Basil. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Basil who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Basil who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Basil Rathbone is an actor best known for The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Hound of the Baskervilles, and The Mark of Zorro.

Basil II is a Byzantine Emperor best known for his military conquests and the expansion of the Byzantine Empire.

Basil the Great is a Christian bishop best known for his contributions to Christian monasticism and the development of the Nicene Creed.

Fictional characters named Basil

The following list of fictional characters named Basil is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Basil of Baker Street is a fictional character from the children's book series by Eve Titus. He is a mouse detective who solves mysteries in the style of Sherlock Holmes.

Basil Fawlty is a fictional character from the British television sitcom Fawlty Towers. He is the rude and incompetent owner of a seaside hotel, known for his short temper and comedic misadventures.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Basil, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

OliverHenryJulianTheodoreSebastianMaxwellFelix

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Basil. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

CecilGideonGabrielSamuelEzekielNathanielRaphaelSilas

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Basil was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Basil has ranked as high as #758 nationally, which occurred in 1924, and has been most popular in New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Michigan, and California.

In the past 5 years the name Basil has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Basil is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Basil was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Basil.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 97 74 23
2024 95 76 19
2023 98 74 24
2022 116 88 28
2021 103 74 29
2020 76 58 18
2019 99 71 28
2018 95 69 26
2017 84 59 25
2016 82 60 22
2015 68 52 16
2014 61 44 17
2013 77 56 21
2012 67 46 21
2011 51 44 7
2010 58 47 11
2009 64 57 7
2008 36 31 5
2007 58 58 0
2006 71 64 7
2005 48 48 0
2004 41 41 0
2003 57 57 0
2002 57 57 0
2001 60 60 0
2000 64 64 0
1999 56 56 0
1998 66 66 0
1997 54 54 0
1996 73 73 0
1995 65 65 0
1994 71 71 0
1993 67 67 0
1992 73 73 0
1991 67 67 0
1990 69 69 0
1989 49 49 0
1988 61 61 0
1987 61 61 0
1986 67 67 0
1985 45 45 0
1984 45 45 0
1983 78 78 0
1982 55 55 0
1981 51 51 0
1980 60 60 0
1979 52 52 0
1978 54 54 0
1977 62 62 0
1976 51 51 0
1975 58 58 0
1974 48 48 0
1973 57 57 0
1972 65 65 0
1971 66 66 0
1970 64 64 0
1969 60 60 0
1968 57 57 0
1967 71 71 0
1966 92 92 0
1965 82 82 0
1964 92 92 0
1963 101 101 0
1962 95 95 0
1961 113 113 0
1960 110 110 0
1959 109 109 0
1958 103 103 0
1957 95 95 0
1956 104 104 0
1955 103 103 0
1954 112 112 0
1953 139 139 0
1952 103 103 0
1951 109 109 0
1950 113 113 0
1949 111 111 0
1948 116 116 0
1947 158 158 0
1946 117 117 0
1945 101 101 0
1944 117 117 0
1943 132 132 0
1942 169 169 0
1941 132 132 0
1940 140 140 0
1939 135 135 0
1938 157 157 0
1937 145 145 0
1936 189 189 0
1935 175 175 0
1934 159 159 0
1933 172 172 0
1932 200 200 0
1931 154 154 0
1930 219 219 0
1929 238 238 0
1928 191 191 0
1927 254 249 5
1926 232 232 0
1925 259 259 0
1924 281 281 0
1923 245 245 0
1922 247 247 0
1921 266 266 0
1920 243 243 0
1919 269 262 7
1918 239 239 0
1917 221 221 0
1916 244 244 0
1915 243 243 0
1914 161 161 0
1913 120 120 0
1912 114 114 0
1911 69 69 0
1910 46 46 0
1909 37 37 0
1908 39 39 0
1907 39 39 0
1906 32 32 0
1905 30 30 0
1904 37 37 0
1903 23 23 0
1902 32 32 0
1901 28 28 0
1900 37 37 0
1899 28 28 0
1898 27 27 0
1897 33 33 0
1896 34 34 0
1895 22 22 0
1894 27 27 0
1893 22 22 0
1892 22 22 0
1891 12 12 0
1890 17 17 0
1889 16 16 0
1888 20 20 0
1887 13 13 0
1886 10 10 0
1885 14 14 0
1884 11 11 0
1883 8 8 0
1882 12 12 0
1881 9 9 0
1880 11 11 0

Top States for Basil (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
TX 6
38%
MI 5
31%
WA 5
31%