Basil (name)
The name Basil ("royal, kingly") comes from the male Greek name Vassilios (, female version ), which first appeared during the Hellenistic period. It is derived from "basileus" (), a greek origin meaning "king", "emperor" or "tzar", from which words such as basilica and basilisk (via Latin) as well as the eponymous herb basil (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. It is also the name of a common herb. In Arabic, Bas(s)el (, "bāsil") is a name for boys that means "brave, fearless, intrepid". 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 may refer to the following people: "see Vasilchenko"