Basil
Boy · BAZ-il · Greek
Vintage revival
Basil is a boys' name of Greek origin, meaning “royal, kingly”. In 2025 it ranked 1,192nd for boys in the UK (26 babies) and 2,020th for boys in the US (74 babies).
What does Basil mean?
Greek
“royal, kingly”
St Basil the Great was a 4th-century bishop of Caesarea; the herb basil shares the same Greek root.
- Say it
- BAZ-il
More on Wiktionary.
Is Basil a girl's or a boy's name?
Basil is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 26 boys in the UK and 23 girls and 74 boys in the US.
How popular is Basil in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,192among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 26about 1 in 12,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 28% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 26 boys in the UK were named Basil, making it the 1,192nd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,581st. Its busiest year was 2021, with 28 boys.
Half of all the boys named Basil in the UK since 1996 were born between 2007 and 2021, the years shaded on the chart below.
Among boys in 2025, it was 1,124th in England and Wales.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1914 (#92) and 1924 (#80).
Basil in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 26 | #1,192 |
| 2024 | 21 | #1,355 |
| 2023 | 13 | #1,917 |
| 2022 | 19 | #1,452 |
| 2021 | 28 | #1,110 |
| 2020 | 16 | #1,581 |
| 2019 | 19 | #1,412 |
| 2018 | 12 | #1,981 |
| 2017 | 13 | #1,922 |
| 2016 | 21 | #1,347 |
| 2015 | 16 | #1,612 |
| 2014 | 8 | #2,593 |
| 2013 | 7 | #2,792 |
| 2012 | 26 | #1,128 |
| 2011 | 14 | #1,697 |
| 2010 | 19 | #1,385 |
| 2009 | 13 | #1,760 |
| 2008 | 15 | #1,547 |
| 2007 | 13 | #1,667 |
| 2006 | 10 | #1,845 |
| 2005 | 18 | #1,216 |
| 2004 | 8 | #1,983 |
| 2003 | 14 | #1,272 |
| 2002 | 11 | #1,384 |
| 2001 | 10 | #1,458 |
| 2000 | 4 | #2,612 |
| 1999 | 10 | #1,352 |
| 1998 | 9 | #1,446 |
| 1997 | 5 | #2,109 |
| 1996 | 6 | #1,840 |
How popular is Basil in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #2,020among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 74about 1 in 23,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadyup 13% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 74 boys in the US were named Basil, making it the 2,020th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,322nd. Its busiest year was 1924, with 281 boys. 23 girls were also named Basil in 2025 (5,409th for girls).
Half of all the boys named Basil in the US since 1880 were born between 1923 and 1970, the years shaded on the chart below.
Girls were 3% of the babies named Basil in the US in 1919, and 24% in 2025.
Basil in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 74 | #2,020 |
| 2024 | 76 | #2,012 |
| 2023 | 74 | #2,031 |
| 2022 | 88 | #1,826 |
| 2021 | 74 | #1,999 |
| 2020 | 58 | #2,322 |
| 2019 | 71 | #2,041 |
| 2018 | 69 | #2,064 |
| 2017 | 59 | #2,239 |
| 2016 | 60 | #2,228 |
| 2015 | 52 | #2,428 |
| 2014 | 44 | #2,703 |
| 2013 | 56 | #2,277 |
| 2012 | 46 | #2,631 |
| 2011 | 44 | #2,698 |
| 2010 | 47 | #2,578 |
| 2009 | 57 | #2,286 |
| 2008 | 31 | #3,483 |
| 2007 | 58 | #2,257 |
| 2006 | 64 | #2,061 |
| 2005 | 48 | #2,395 |
| 2004 | 41 | #2,595 |
| 2003 | 57 | #2,002 |
| 2002 | 57 | #1,939 |
| 2001 | 60 | #1,837 |
| 2000 | 64 | #1,738 |
| 1999 | 56 | #1,775 |
| 1998 | 66 | #1,582 |
| 1997 | 54 | #1,770 |
| 1996 | 73 | #1,419 |
| 1995 | 65 | #1,472 |
| 1994 | 71 | #1,379 |
| 1993 | 67 | #1,415 |
| 1992 | 73 | #1,316 |
| 1991 | 67 | #1,376 |
| 1990 | 69 | #1,331 |
| 1989 | 49 | #1,610 |
| 1988 | 61 | #1,315 |
| 1987 | 61 | #1,246 |
| 1986 | 67 | #1,152 |
| 1985 | 45 | #1,484 |
| 1984 | 45 | #1,421 |
| 1983 | 78 | #1,000 |
| 1982 | 55 | #1,253 |
| 1981 | 51 | #1,294 |
| 1980 | 60 | #1,176 |
| 1979 | 52 | #1,270 |
| 1978 | 54 | #1,214 |
| 1977 | 62 | #1,099 |
| 1976 | 51 | #1,210 |
| 1975 | 58 | #1,099 |
| 1974 | 48 | #1,198 |
| 1973 | 57 | #1,074 |
| 1972 | 65 | #1,000 |
| 1971 | 66 | #998 |
| 1970 | 64 | #1,016 |
| 1969 | 60 | #989 |
| 1968 | 57 | #968 |
| 1967 | 71 | #848 |
| 1966 | 92 | #762 |
| 1965 | 82 | #815 |
| 1964 | 92 | #784 |
| 1963 | 101 | #763 |
| 1962 | 95 | #778 |
| 1961 | 113 | #719 |
| 1960 | 110 | #732 |
| 1959 | 109 | #734 |
| 1958 | 103 | #731 |
| 1957 | 95 | #771 |
| 1956 | 104 | #717 |
| 1955 | 103 | #719 |
| 1954 | 112 | #681 |
| 1953 | 139 | #615 |
| 1952 | 103 | #687 |
| 1951 | 109 | #667 |
| 1950 | 113 | #657 |
| 1949 | 111 | #648 |
| 1948 | 116 | #628 |
| 1947 | 158 | #535 |
| 1946 | 117 | #592 |
| 1945 | 101 | #603 |
| 1944 | 117 | #564 |
| 1943 | 132 | #544 |
| 1942 | 169 | #472 |
| 1941 | 132 | #513 |
| 1940 | 140 | #487 |
| 1939 | 135 | #495 |
| 1938 | 157 | #460 |
| 1937 | 145 | #463 |
| 1936 | 189 | #401 |
| 1935 | 175 | #417 |
| 1934 | 159 | #447 |
| 1933 | 172 | #413 |
| 1932 | 200 | #396 |
| 1931 | 154 | #454 |
| 1930 | 219 | #386 |
| 1929 | 238 | #373 |
| 1928 | 191 | #431 |
| 1927 | 249 | #371 |
| 1926 | 232 | #385 |
| 1925 | 259 | #370 |
| 1924 | 281 | #354 |
| 1923 | 245 | #379 |
| 1922 | 247 | #382 |
| 1921 | 266 | #374 |
| 1920 | 243 | #383 |
| 1919 | 262 | #352 |
| 1918 | 239 | #387 |
| 1917 | 221 | #379 |
| 1916 | 244 | #341 |
| 1915 | 243 | #339 |
| 1914 | 161 | #375 |
| 1913 | 120 | #387 |
| 1912 | 114 | #359 |
| 1911 | 69 | #328 |
| 1910 | 46 | #383 |
| 1909 | 37 | #403 |
| 1908 | 39 | #365 |
| 1907 | 39 | #351 |
| 1906 | 32 | #378 |
| 1905 | 30 | #384 |
| 1904 | 37 | #328 |
| 1903 | 23 | #411 |
| 1902 | 32 | #348 |
| 1901 | 28 | #347 |
| 1900 | 37 | #357 |
| 1899 | 28 | #336 |
| 1898 | 27 | #377 |
| 1897 | 33 | #321 |
| 1896 | 34 | #323 |
| 1895 | 22 | #414 |
| 1894 | 27 | #349 |
| 1893 | 22 | #383 |
| 1892 | 22 | #404 |
| 1891 | 12 | #524 |
| 1890 | 17 | #434 |
| 1889 | 16 | #464 |
| 1888 | 20 | #416 |
| 1887 | 13 | #488 |
| 1886 | 10 | #605 |
| 1885 | 14 | #498 |
| 1884 | 11 | #570 |
| 1883 | 8 | #677 |
| 1882 | 12 | #540 |
| 1881 | 9 | #595 |
| 1880 | 11 | #571 |
Nicknames for Basil
- Baz 13 boys in the US in 2025
Names like Basil
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Arthur Frederick Wilfred George Stanley Albert Henry Leon Alfred Archie Otis Theodore
Names related to Basil
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