Basil
From the Greek Basileios, formed on basileus, meaning king. Basil of Caesarea, a fourth-century theologian, made it a standard Christian name in the East.
Basil in 2025
Basil was given to 97 babies in the United States in 2025 — 74 boys and 23 girls, making it the 3,603rd most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 34,179 babies born.
The history of Basil
Basil reached its highest point in 1924, when 281 babies were given the name, ranking 758th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 722nd, in 1915.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 13,538 babies have been named Basil. Half of them were born before 1941, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Silent Generation.
Basil by decade
| Decade | Babies named Basil | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 124 | 958 |
| 1890s | 244 | 820 |
| 1900s | 334 | 874 |
| 1910s | 1,726 | 722 |
| 1920s | 2,456 | 758 |
| 1930s | 1,705 | 822 |
| 1940s | 1,293 | 1,012 |
| 1950s | 1,090 | 1,355 |
| 1960s | 873 | 1,711 |
| 1970s | 577 | 2,379 |
| 1980s | 572 | 2,395 |
| 1990s | 661 | 3,168 |
| 2000s | 556 | 4,085 |
| 2010s | 742 | 3,544 |
| 2020s | 585 | 3,254 |
Where Basil is heading
Basil has risen 43% over the past decade, from 68 babies in 2015 to 97 in 2025.
Names like Basil
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Basil.