Basil ( name ) - wikipedia Basil ( name ) `` Basileios '' redirects here. For the Greek architectural element, see Stoa Basileios. Basil Pronunciation / ˈbæzəl / BAZ - əl, / ˈbɑːsəl / BAH - səl Origin Word / name Greek, Arabic Meaning `` royal, kingly, brave, valiant, chivalrous '' in Greek ; `` brave, fearless, intrepid '' in Arabic The name Basil ( royal, kingly ) comes from the male Greek name Vassilios ( Greek : Βασίλειος, female version Bασιλική ), which first appeared during the Hellenistic period. It is derived from `` basileus '' ( Greek : βασιλεύς ), a Greek word of pre-Hellenic origin meaning `` king '', from which words such as basilica and basilisk ( via Latin ) as well as the eponymous herb ( via Old French ) derive, and the name of the Italian region Basilicata, which had been long under the rule of the Byzantine Emperor ( also called basileus ). It was brought to England by the Crusaders, having been common in the eastern Mediterranean. It is more often used in Britain and Europe than in the US and is also the name of a common herb. In Arabic, Bas ( s ) el ( باسل, bāsil ) is a name for boys that means `` brave, fearless, intrepid ''. It is derived from the B-S-L root. Different derived names in different languages include Barsegh in Armenian ; Basile in French ; Basilius in German ; Basilio in Italian and Spanish ; Basileo in Galician ; Vasyl in Ukraine ; Vasile in Romanian ; Vasil in Bulgarian ; Vasilije in Serbian ; Vasily in Russian ; Bazil, Bazsó, Vászoly and Vazul in Hungarian. `` Basil '' has over 50 variants, among them being : Bacile, Bas ( s ) el, Basley, Baseley, Bas ( s ) il ( l ), Basilic, Basilides, Basileios, Basileo, Basile, Basilie, Basilio, Basilius, Basilone, Bazeel, Bazeelius, Bazley, Bazeley, Bazell, Bazelle, Bazil, Bazyli, Breasal, Pasi, Vasil, Vasyl, Vasile, Vaseleos, Vasilchenko, Vasileos, Vasilije, Vasilj, Vasko, Vasa, Vaso, Vasović, Vas ( s ) ilios, Vasileios, Vasilius, Vasilus, Vassilis, Vasili, Vassili, Vasiliy, Vassilij, Vassily, Wassily, and Wasilewski. Basil may refer to the following people : Contents 1 Rulers 2 Generals 3 Religious figures 4 First name 5 Surname 6 Fictional characters 7 References 8 External links Rulers Basil Onomagoulos ( died 717 ), Byzantine usurper in Sicily in 717 Basil I ( 811 - 886 ) the Macedonian, Byzantine Emperor from 867 Basil II Bulgaroktonus ( 958 - 1025 ), Byzantine Emperor from 976 Basil Lekapenos ( died c. 985 ), chief administrator of the Byzantine Empire from 945 Basil of Trebizond ( died 1340 ), ruled from 1332 Fasilides ( 1603 - 1667 ), Ethiopian Emperor from 1603 Basil of Naples, the first Duke of Naples from 661 to 666 Generals Basil Apokapes, Byzantine general of the mid-11th century Basil Boioannes, Catepan of Italy in 1017 - 1027 Basil Mesardonites, Catepan of Italy in 1010 - 1017 Basil Theodorokanos, Catepan of Italy in 1043 Religious figures Basil of Caesarea ( 330 - 379 ), also known as Saint Basil the Great, a 4th - century bishop of Caesarea Basil the Elder, father of Basil the Great and saint of the Eastern Orthodox Church Basil of Ancyra ( died 362 ), a 4th - century martyr Basil of Amasea, a fourth - century Christian bishop and martyr Basil Fool for Christ ( born 1468 or 1469, died 1552 or 1557 ), a Russian saint Basil of Ostrog ( 1610 - 1671 ), bishop and saint of the Eastern Orthodox Church Basil the Physician ( died 1118 ), Bogomil leader burned at the stake as a heretic Basil of Seleucia ( died probably between 458 and 460 ), a metropolitan bishop of Seleucia ad Calycadnum Basil the Confessor ( died 750 ), Eastern Orthodox saint Basil Hopko ( 1904 - 1976 ), bishop of the Slovak Greek Catholic Church and martyr Basil Hume ( 1923 - 1999 ), English Roman Catholic cardinal and Archbishop of Westminster Basil Moreau ( 1799 - 1873 ), French Roman Catholic priest who founded the Congregation of Holy Cross and was beatified variant Basilides Basilides ( 2nd century AD ), Egyptian Gnostic religious teacher First name Basil Arthur ( 1928 - 1985 ), New Zealand politician Basil Bennett ( 1894 - 1938 ), American athlete and olympic bronze medal winner in hammer throw Basil Bernstein ( 1924 - 2000 ), British sociologist and linguist Basil Brooke, 1st Viscount Brookeborough ( 1888 - 1973 ), politician and third Prime Minister of Northern Ireland Basil Bunting ( 1900 -- 1985 ), British modernist poet H. Basil Christian ( 1871 -- 1950 ), South African / Rhodesian farmer and horticulturalist Basil Dearden ( 1911 - 1971 ), British film director Basil W. Duke ( 1838 - 1916 ), Confederate American Civil War general and historian Air Chief Marshal Basil Embry ( 1902 - 1977 ), British Royal Air Force officer Basil Gunasekara ( born 1929 ), 7th Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy Basil Buzz Hargrove ( born 1944 ), Canadian former labour union leader B.H. Liddell Hart ( 1895 - 1970 ), English soldier, military historian and leading inter-war theorist Basil Hetzel ( born 1922 ), Australian medical researcher Basil Hiley ( born 1935 ), British quantum physicist Basil Hood ( 1864 - 1917 ), British librettist and lyricist Basil Mott ( 1859 - 1938 ), British civil engineer Basil O'Connor ( 1892 - 1972 ), American lawyer and chairman and president of the American Red Cross Basil Charles Godfrey Place ( 1921 - 1994 ), British Royal Navy rear - admiral and recipient of the Victoria Cross Basil Radford ( 1897 - 1952 ), British actor Basil Rathbone ( 1892 - 1967 ), British actor Basil Spence ( 1907 - 1976 ), Scottish architect Basil Wolverton ( 1909 -- 1978 ), American cartoonist, illustrator, comic book writer - artist Basil Zaharoff ( 1849 - 1936 ), Greek arms trader and financier, and chairman of the Vickers munitions company during World War I variant Bassel Bassel al - Assad ( 1962 -- 1994 ), the eldest son of the late Syrian President Hafez al - Assad Bassel Shehadeh ( 1984 - 2012 ) Syrian film producer Bassel Khartabil ( 1981 - 2015 ) Palestinian - Syrian open - source software developer Surname Steve Basil ( 1893 -- 1962 ), American baseball umpire Toni Basil ( b. 1943 ), American musician, video artist, actress, and choreographer Richard Basil ( b. 1967 ), American former college football coach variant Bacile Giovanni Bacile ( 1880 -- 1941 ), Italian Roman Catholic priest variant Baseley Godfrey Baseley ( 1904 -- 1997 ), American radio executive William Baseley, English politician, member of the Parliament of England in 1554 and 1555 variant Basile see Basile # Surname variant Basilio see Basilio # Surname variant Basilius Basilius is a Greek nobility title and names bearing this title are excluded here István Basilius ( 1549 -- 1581 ), Hungarian Unitarian minister variant Basilone John Basilone ( 1916 -- 1945 ), American soldier, recipient of the Medal of Honor variant Bassil Gebran Bassil ( b. 1970 ), Lebanese politician Philip S. Bassil ( b. 1976 ) Lebanese - Canadian Investment Banker and financier Ray Bassil ( b. 1988 ), Lebanese athlete variant Bazeley see Bazeley variant Bazell Josh Bazell ( b. 1970 ), American author and physician Robert Bazell ( 20th Century ), American academic variant Bazil Louis Bazil ( 1695 -- 1752 ), French merchant and militia officer Ezekiel Bazil ( b. 1965 ), Dominican politician variant Bazley Colin Bazley ( b. 1935 ), Anglican bishop of Chile Margaret Bazley ( b. 1938 ), New Zealand public servant Robert W. Bazley ( 1925 -- 2012 ), American military commander Sir Thomas Bazley, 1st Baronet ( 1797 -- 1883 ), British industrialist and Liberal politician variant Pasi Riccardo Pasi ( b. 1990 ), Italian footballer Geeta Pasi ( 21st Century ), American diplomat variant Vasil ( excluding Vasil ' ) Adria Vasil ( 21st Century ), Canadian journalist variant Vasilchenko see Vasilchenko variant Vasile see Vasile # As a surname variant Vasili Laert Vasili ( b. 1974 ), Greek Albanian actor and director Petrit Vasili ( 21st Century ), Albanian politician variant Vasilj Mario Vasilj ( b. 1983 ), Swedish professional footballer Vladimir Vasilj ( b. 1975 ), former Croatian professional footballer variant Vasko ( excluding Vaskó and Vaško ) Elmer Vasko ( 1935 -- 1998 ), Canadian ice hockey player Rick Vasko ( b. 1957 ), Canadian ice hockey player variant Vasović see Vasović variant Vassili Amaury Vassili ( b. 1989 ), French singer Vassilis Vassili ( b. 1964 ), Greek sculptor variant Wasilewski see Wasilewski Fictional characters Basil, protagonist of Wilkie Collins ' 1852 Basil ( novel ) Basil of the Basil of Baker Street novels and the movie The Great Mouse Detective Basil, a character in the television series Fraggle Rock Basil Fawlty, the main character in Fawlty Towers Basil Brush, a glove puppet fox popular on children 's television in the UK Basil ( Sesame Park ), main character of the Canadian children 's show Sesame Park Basil, a character in the anime and manga series Reborn ! Basil, a character on the Playhouse Disney TV series Johnny and the Sprites Basil Wombat, a character on SeeMore 's Playhouse Basil, a character in the breeding and farming game, Harvest Moon Basil Hallward, the artist that paints the haunting portrait of Dorian Gray in Oscar Wilde 's The Picture of Dorian Gray Basil the Bat Lord, an enemy racer in Lego Racers ( video game ) Basil Stag Hare, member of the Fur and Foot Fighting Patrol in Brian Jacques ' Redwall Basil Hawkins, a character in a popular manga One Piece Basil Humphrey, Head of Scotland Yard from the film Dracula 's Daughter Basil Exposition, a character in the film Austin Powers : International Man of Mystery Basil, Alex Delarge 's snake from the film A Clockwork Orange ( film ) Basil Brightberry, the gentlemouse sommelier in the children 's Brambly Hedge series Basil Ransom, a Mississippi lawyer in Henry James 's 1886 novel The Bostonians Basil, a Pirate in the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Tyrannus Basilton Grimm - Pitch, a character in Carry on by Rainbow Rowell References Jump up ^ Wehr, Hans ( 1979 ). Cowan, J. Milton, ed. A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic. p. 73. Jump up ^ `` Basel ''. QuranicNames.com. QuranClub. Retrieved 23 May 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` Last Name : Basil ''. The Internet Surname Database. Retrieved 23 May 2015. ^ Jump up to : Reaney, PH ; Wilson, RM ( 1991 ). A Dictionary of English Surnames ( reprint ). Psychology Press. p. 198. ISBN 9780415057370 -- via Google Books. Jump up ^ `` Pasi ''. Behind the Name. Retrieved 23 May 2015. External links Basil - Origin of Baby Names Basil ( English ) - House of Names Basil ( French ) - House of Names ( 1 ) ( Arabic ) - Quaric Names Name list This page or section lists people that share the same given name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change that link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Basil_(name)&oldid=854001288 '' Categories : Given names Surnames English given names Given names of Greek language origin Hidden categories : Articles containing Greek - language text Articles containing Arabic - language text Articles with short description All set index articles Talk Contents About Wikipedia Čeština Deutsch Svenska Edit links This page was last edited on 8 August 2018, at 08 : 53 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: what is the origin of the name basil
Answer: the male Greek name Vassilios