boy's name
Basile
bah-ZEEL
- Origin French
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 19,482
France
#42
2025 births
Basile is a boy's name of Greek origin meaning "royal" or "kingly," from basileus, a king. It ranks forty-second in France and is one of a group of nineteenth-century French names returning together, alongside Augustin and Gaspard.
- Basile is a name of French origin.
- Peaked in France in 2025, when 1,150 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 513 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1900.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Basile over time
Births per decade in France, 1900s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 595 |
| 1910s | 425 |
| 1920s | 545 |
| 1930s | 490 |
| 1940s | 250 |
| 1950s | 215 |
| 1960s | 125 |
| 1970s | 190 |
| 1980s | 705 |
| 1990s | 1,710 |
| 2000s | 2,995 |
| 2010s | 5,485 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 5,620 |
What Basile means
Basile means royal, or kingly. The Greek basileus is the word for a king, so the name claims rank directly rather than describing a quality associated with it.
Where Basile comes from
Basile is the French form of Basil, from the Greek basileios, royal, derived from basileus, a king. Its standing rests on Saint Basil the Great, a fourth-century bishop of Caesarea and one of the Cappadocian Fathers, whose rule still governs Eastern monasticism. The same Greek word gives the herb basil, which was called the royal plant, and the basilica, originally a royal hall and later a church. In French the name was common through the nineteenth century, faded almost entirely, and has returned since the 2000s as part of a broad revival of names from that period.
Basile in use
Basile ranks forty-second in France with about 1,150 births in 2025. Outside France it is very rare: beyond 6,200 in England and Wales and beyond 11,900 in the United States, where Basil reads as either herbal or as a period English name. Our records carry Basile from 1916 onward, and it belongs to the same clustered French revival as Augustin, Gaspard and Léonie.
How popular is Basile?
In 2025, Basile was given to 1,150 babies in France, ranking #42 that year. It is a rare choice.
Where Basile is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Basile
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Basile also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Basile over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Basile in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Basile
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Basile — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Basile
What does the name Basile mean?
Basile means "royal" or "kingly," from the Greek basileus, a king.
Is the herb basil related?
Yes, by the same root. Basil was called the royal plant, and a basilica was originally a royal hall.
How do you pronounce Basile?
bah-ZEEL, with a z sound in the middle.
Who was Saint Basil the Great?
A fourth-century bishop of Caesarea whose monastic rule still governs Eastern monasticism.
How popular is the name Basile?
In 2025, Basile was given to 1,150 babies in France, ranking #42 that year. It is a rare choice.
Is Basile a girl's or a boy's name?
Basile is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Basile?
Basile has 2 syllables.
When was Basile most popular?
Basile peaked in 2025, when 1,150 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Basile a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Basile currently ranks #42 in France. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.