Basil
Masculine · “kingly”
Basil is overwhelmingly a boys’ name — 13,172 boys against 366 girls since 1880.
Basil is the Greek for king, and the herb is named for the same word — a plant thought royal enough for kings, or for the basilisk, depending on which ancient writer you believe.
How old is the name Basil?
Basil was already in use when US birth records began in 1880 — it is at least 145 years old. The typical Basil alive today was born around 1939, making them about 86 years old. About 5,700 people named Basil are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Basil most popular?
Basil peaked in 1897, reaching #321 nationally. Today it ranks #2020, 1,699 places below that high. See the whole 1897 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
From basileus to Basil
The story of Basil
Basil the Great was a fourth-century bishop of Caesarea, one of the Cappadocian Fathers and the author of the monastic rule still followed in the Orthodox east; the name became a great one in Greek and Russian use, carried by Byzantine emperors. The Crusades brought it to England, and American use peaked around 1918.
Meaning
kingly, royal
From the Greek basileus, 'king', through basileios, 'royal'. The herb basil carries the same root: the Greek basilikon phyton, 'royal plant'. The basilisk — 'little king', for the crest on its head — is a third descendant of the same word. All three connections are genuine.
How the name formed
- basileus
- Basileios
- Basil
Related forms: Vasilios · Vasily · Basilio · Basil
Pronouncing Basil
BAZ-il
Two syllables, stress on the first. American speakers often say BAY-zil, following the herb.
Nicknames for Basil
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1880
- Most boys named
- 1924281 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #321reached in 1897
- Change vs 2022
- −15.9%74 in 2025, from 88
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Basil in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Vasilios in Greek — related form
- Vasily in Russian — related form
- Basilio in Italian — related form
- Basil in Arabic — same name
Strongest US states over the last decade: California, Pennsylvania, Texas.
Basils among us
people named Basil are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 23,082 born in 2025 was named Basil
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
Fashion outlook
Basil sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Basil is headed
Basil should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind.
Medium confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Basil beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Basil in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- The kingly meaning is transparent, undisputed and about as strong as meanings get.
- A documented Church Father and a line of Byzantine emperors carry it.
- It exists in Greek, Russian, Italian and Arabic, which gives it real reach.
- The herb association is inescapable, though it shares the same root.
- The pronunciation splits between British and American readings.
- It is period-coded to the early twentieth century in American records.
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What they receive
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Basil
Masculine · #2020 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Basils are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 5,700 people named Basil are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Basil in 2025?
- Basil ranks #2020 among US boy names in 2025, with 74 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Basil?
- About 1 in every 23,082 US boys born in 2025 was named Basil — 74 in all.
- Will my child share the name Basil with classmates?
- Basil will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Basil
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Lemuel#2020 · Aaryan#2020 · Joah#2020 · Leviticus#2020 · Rigoberto#2020 · Kyan#2020 · Domingo#2020 · Glen#2020
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Basil? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Basil and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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