Boy nameCurrently #2,009 in the USSteady
Basil
BAZ-ul//ˈbæzəl//
2 syllablesPeak year: 19245 lettersStarts with B
Meaning & origin
Kingly, royal
Basil comes from the Greek 'basileus', meaning king, and honors Saint Basil the Great, a 4th-century bishop and theologian. It also happens to share its spelling with the fragrant culinary herb, giving it an appealing double association.
Basil's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Basil |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 11 |
| 1881 | 9 |
| 1882 | 12 |
| 1883 | 8 |
| 1884 | 11 |
| 1885 | 14 |
| 1886 | 10 |
| 1887 | 13 |
| 1888 | 20 |
| 1889 | 16 |
| 1890 | 17 |
| 1891 | 12 |
| 1892 | 22 |
| 1893 | 22 |
| 1894 | 27 |
| 1895 | 22 |
| 1896 | 34 |
| 1897 | 33 |
| 1898 | 27 |
| 1899 | 28 |
| 1900 | 37 |
| 1901 | 28 |
| 1902 | 32 |
| 1903 | 23 |
| 1904 | 37 |
| 1905 | 30 |
| 1906 | 32 |
| 1907 | 39 |
| 1908 | 39 |
| 1909 | 37 |
| 1910 | 46 |
| 1911 | 69 |
| 1912 | 114 |
| 1913 | 120 |
| 1914 | 161 |
| 1915 | 243 |
| 1916 | 244 |
| 1917 | 221 |
| 1918 | 239 |
| 1919 | 270 |
| 1920 | 242 |
| 1921 | 266 |
| 1922 | 247 |
| 1923 | 245 |
| 1924 | 281 |
| 1925 | 259 |
| 1926 | 232 |
| 1927 | 254 |
| 1928 | 191 |
| 1929 | 238 |
| 1930 | 219 |
| 1931 | 154 |
| 1932 | 200 |
| 1933 | 172 |
| 1934 | 159 |
| 1935 | 175 |
| 1936 | 189 |
| 1937 | 145 |
| 1938 | 157 |
| 1939 | 135 |
| 1940 | 140 |
| 1941 | 132 |
| 1942 | 169 |
| 1943 | 132 |
| 1944 | 117 |
| 1945 | 101 |
| 1946 | 117 |
| 1947 | 158 |
| 1948 | 116 |
| 1949 | 111 |
| 1950 | 113 |
| 1951 | 109 |
| 1952 | 103 |
| 1953 | 139 |
| 1954 | 112 |
| 1955 | 103 |
| 1956 | 104 |
| 1957 | 95 |
| 1958 | 103 |
| 1959 | 109 |
| 1960 | 110 |
| 1961 | 112 |
| 1962 | 96 |
| 1963 | 101 |
| 1964 | 92 |
| 1965 | 82 |
| 1966 | 92 |
| 1967 | 71 |
| 1968 | 57 |
| 1969 | 60 |
| 1970 | 64 |
| 1971 | 66 |
| 1972 | 65 |
| 1973 | 57 |
| 1974 | 48 |
| 1975 | 58 |
| 1976 | 51 |
| 1977 | 62 |
| 1978 | 54 |
| 1979 | 52 |
| 1980 | 60 |
| 1981 | 51 |
| 1982 | 55 |
| 1983 | 78 |
| 1984 | 45 |
| 1985 | 45 |
| 1986 | 67 |
| 1987 | 61 |
| 1988 | 61 |
| 1989 | 49 |
| 1990 | 69 |
| 1991 | 67 |
| 1992 | 73 |
| 1993 | 67 |
| 1994 | 71 |
| 1995 | 65 |
| 1996 | 73 |
| 1997 | 54 |
| 1998 | 65 |
| 1999 | 56 |
| 2000 | 64 |
| 2001 | 60 |
| 2002 | 57 |
| 2003 | 57 |
| 2004 | 41 |
| 2005 | 48 |
| 2006 | 71 |
| 2007 | 58 |
| 2008 | 36 |
| 2009 | 63 |
| 2010 | 58 |
| 2011 | 51 |
| 2012 | 66 |
| 2013 | 77 |
| 2014 | 61 |
| 2015 | 68 |
| 2016 | 82 |
| 2017 | 84 |
| 2018 | 95 |
| 2019 | 99 |
| 2020 | 76 |
| 2021 | 103 |
| 2022 | 116 |
| 2023 | 98 |
| 2024 | 95 |
Basil through the decades
- Basil peaked in 1924, when 281 babies were named Basil in the US.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Basil has risen 56% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Basil currently ranks #2,009 in the US and is holding steady.
Nicknames
Baz
Variants & spellings
Basilio
Famous people named Basil
- Saint Basil the Great — bishop and theologian