The name Basil (''royal, kingly'') comes from the male

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

name

Vassilios Vassilios or Vassileios, also transliterated Vasileios, Vasilios, Vassilis or Vasilis (), is a Greek given name, the origin of Basil. In ancient/medieval/Byzantine context, it is also transliterated as Basileios. It is directly descended from the wo ...

(, female version ), which first appeared during the

Hellenistic In classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Greek history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the death of Cleopatra VII in 30 BC, which was followed by the ascendancy of the R ...

period. It is derived from "

basileus ''Basileus'' () is a Greek term and title that has signified various types of monarchs throughout history. In the English language, English-speaking world, it is perhaps most widely understood to mean , referring to either a or an . The title ...

" (), a Greek word of pre-Hellenic origin, meaning "king", from which words such as

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica (Greek Basiliké) was a large public building with multiple functions that was typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek Eas ...

and

basilisk In European bestiary, bestiaries and legends, a basilisk ( or ) is a legendary reptile reputed to be a Serpent symbolism, serpent king, who causes death to those who look into its eyes. According to the ''Natural History (Pliny), Naturalis Histo ...

(via

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

) as well as the eponymous herb

basil Basil (, ; , ; ''Ocimum basilicum'' (, )), also called great basil, is a culinary herb of the family Lamiaceae (mints). It is a hardiness (plants), tender plant, and is used in cuisines worldwide. In Western cuisine, the generic term "basil" r ...

(via

Old French Old French (, , ; ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France approximately between the late 8th

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

region Basilicata, which had been long under the rule of the List of Byzantine emperors, 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 United States. It is also the name of a common herb. In

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

, Bas(s)el (, ''bāsil'') is a name for boys that means "brave, fearless, intrepid". Different derived names in different languages include

Barsegh Barsegh () is an Armenian given name. Parsegh is an alternative in Western Armenian. Barsegh and Parsegh may refer to: Religious leaders * Parsegh of Cilicia, Armenian Catholicos of Cilicia from 1105 to 1113 *Barsegh or Basil the Doctor (), poet ...

in Armenian; Basile in French; Basilius in German; Basilio in Italian and Spanish; Basílio in Portuguese; Basileo in Galician; Vasyl in Ukraine; Vasile in Romanian; Vasil in Bulgarian; Vasilije in Serbian;

Vasiliy Vasili, Vasily, Vasilii or Vasiliy (Russian: Василий) is a Russian masculine given name of Greek origin and corresponds to ''Basil''. It may refer to: *Vasily I of Moscow Grand Prince from 1389–1425 *Vasily II of Moscow Grand Prince fro ...

in Russian;

Bazil Bazil is a given name. Notable people with the name include: *Bazil Ashmawy, Irish radio and television personality who appears on Raidió Teilifís Éireann *Bazil Assan (1860–1918), Romanian engineer and explorer *Bazil Broketail, 1992 fanta ...

, Bazsó, Vászoly and Vazul in Hungarian. Basil may refer to the following people:

Rulers

Basil Onomagoulos Basil Onomagoulos () was a Byzantine official who was declared rival emperor in Sicily in 717, taking the regnal name Tiberius. Basil was from Constantinople, the son of a certain Gregory Onomagoulos. In 717 he was a member of the entourage of Ser ...

(died 717), Byzantine usurper in Sicily in 717 *

Basil I Basil I, nicknamed "the Macedonian" (; 811 – 29 August 886), was List of Byzantine emperors, Byzantine emperor from 867 to 886. Born to a peasant family in Macedonia (theme), Macedonia, he rose to prominence in the imperial court after gainin ...

(811–886) the Macedonian, Byzantine Emperor from 867 *

Basil II Basil II Porphyrogenitus (; 958 – 15 December 1025), nicknamed the Bulgar Slayer (, ), was the senior Byzantine emperor from 976 to 1025. He and his brother Constantine VIII were crowned before their father Romanos II died in 963, but t ...

Bulgaroktonus (958–1025), Byzantine Emperor from 976 *

Basil Lekapenos Basil Lekapenos (; – ), also called the Parakoimomenos () or the Nothos (, "the Bastard"), was an illegitimate child of the Byzantine emperor Romanos I Lekapenos. He served as the '' parakoimomenos'' and chief minister of the Byzantine Empire f ...

(925–985), chief administrator of the Byzantine Empire from 945 *

Basil of Trebizond Basil Megas Komnenos () (died 6 April 1340) was Emperor of Trebizond from August 1332 until his death in 1340. Although Basil's reign was a period of stability during the civil war that dominated the pocket empire during the second quarter of t ...

(died 1340), ruled from 1332 *

Fasilides Fasilides ( Ge'ez: ፋሲለደስ; ''Fāsīladas''; 20 November 1603 – 18 October 1667), also known as Fasil, Basilide, or Basilides (as in the works of Edward Gibbon), was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1632 to his death on 18 October 1667, and a me ...

(1603–1667), Ethiopian Emperor from 1603 * Basil of Naples, the first Duke of Naples from 661 to 666

Generals

Basil Apokapes Basil Apokapes (or Apocapes) (b 924–977) () was a Byzantine general of the 11th century. A descendant of the Apokapai family, an Armeno- Georgian noble clan, he was the son of the patrician Michael Apokapes or Abu K’ab, who had once served ...

(924-977), Byzantine general of the mid-11th century *

Basil Boioannes Basil Boioannes (, ; , ), in Italian called (), was the Byzantine catapan of Italy (1017 – 1027 Chalandon, Ferdinand. ''Histoire de la domination normande en Italie et en Sicile''. Paris, 1907.) and one of the greatest Byzantine generals of his ...

, Catepan of Italy in 1017–1027 *

Basil Mesardonites Basil Mesardonites (, died 1016) was the Catapan of Italy, representing the Byzantine Emperor there, from 1010 to 1016 or 1017. He succeeded the catapan John Kourkouas, who died fighting the Lombards, then in rebellion under Melus, early in 1010. ...

(died 1016), Catepan of Italy in 1010–1017 * Basil Theodorokanos, Catepan of Italy in 1043

Religious figures

Basil of Caesarea Basil of Caesarea, also called Saint Basil the Great (330 – 1 or 2 January 379) was an early Roman Christian prelate who served as Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia from 370 until his death in 379. He was an influential theologian who suppor ...

(330–379), also known as Saint Basil the Great, a 4th-century bishop of Caesarea *

Basil the Elder Saint Basil the Elder (Greek: Βασιλείος ό Γέρος), father of St. Basil the Great, was raised in Neocaesarea (modern day Turkey) in the Pontus. He died in the year 350, and his feast day is 30 May. Life The son of Macrina the Elder ...

, father of Basil the Great and saint of the Eastern Orthodox Church * Basil of Ancyra (hieromartyr) (died 362), a 4th-century Christian priest and hieromartyr *

Basil of Ancyra (martyr) Basil of Ancyra was a Christian martyr who was killed during the reign of Julian the Apostate (331–362). He is not to be confused with the hieromartyr Basil of Ancyra, who was also martyred during the reign of Emperor Julian. Biography Sain ...

(died 331–363) a 4th-century * Basil of Amasea, a fourth-century Christian bishop and martyr * Basil I of Bulgaria, the first Patriarch of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church () after restoring the Tarnovo Patriarchate * Basil II of Bulgaria, Patriarch of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church () * Basil III of Bulgaria, Patriarch of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church () *

Basil Fool for Christ Vasily the Blessed (known also as Basil, and as the fool for Christ; the Wonderworker of Moscow; or Blessed Vasily of Moscow; , Vasily Blazhenny) is a Russian Orthodox saint of the type known as ''yurodivy'' or "holy fool". Life Vasily was born ...

(1468/1469–1552/1557), Russian Orthodox saint *

Basil of Ostrog Basil of Ostrog (, ; 28 December 1610 – 29 April 1671), also known as Vasilije, was a Serbian Orthodox bishop of Zahumlje who is venerated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Life Early life Stojan Jovanović ( sr-Cyrl, Стоја ...

(1610–1671), Serbian Orthodox bishop and saint * Basil the Physician (died 1118), Bogomil leader burned at the stake as a heretic *

Basil of Seleucia Basil of Seleucia was a Roman Bishop and ecclesiastical writer. He was archbishop of Seleucia ad Calycadnum by 448. He condemned Eutyches in the year 448, "acquiesced" while "rehabilitating" at the Latrocinium in 449, "but recanted and signed" th ...

(died probably between 458 and 460), a metropolitan bishop of Seleucia ad Calycadnum *

Basil the Confessor There are two individuals known as Basil the Confessor (Greek: Βασιλείος ό Ομολογητής); one was a monk and the other Bishop of Parium. Venerable Basil the Confessor Venerable Basil the Confessor was an Eastern Orthodox saint ...

(died 750), Eastern Orthodox saint *

Basil Hopko Basil or Vasiľ Hopko (21 April 1904, Hrabské — 23 July 1976) was an eparch (bishop) of the Slovak Greek Catholic Church. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on 14 September 2003 for his martyrdom under Communist occupation. Life Basil ...

(1904–1976), bishop of the Slovak Greek Catholic Church and martyr *

Basil Hume George Basil Hume (born George Haliburton Hume; 2 March 1923 – 17 June 1999) was an English Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Westminster from 1976 until his death in 1999. A member of the Benedictines, he was made a cardinal i ...

(1923–1999), English Roman Catholic cardinal and Archbishop of Westminster *

Basil Moreau Basil Moreau, C.S.C. (February 11, 1799 – January 20, 1873) was the French priest who founded the Congregation of Holy Cross from which two additional congregations were founded, namely the Marianites of Holy Cross and the Sisters of t ...

(1799–1873), French Roman Catholic priest who founded the Congregation of Holy Cross and was beatified ;variant ''Baselios'' *Baselios I bar Baldoyo, Maphrian of the East (828–830) (See

List of maphrians The Maphrian, originally known as the Grand Metropolitan of the East or the Catholicos, was the head of the Maphrianate of the East and was the second highest-ranking prelate within the Syriac Orthodox Church, after the Patriarch of Antioch. Th ...

) *Baselios II, Maphrian of the East (848–868) (See

) *Baselios III, Maphrian of the East (936–960) (See

) *Baselios IV of Tagrit, Maphrian of the East (1046–1069) (See

) * Baselios Behnam Hadliyo (died 1454), Maphrian of the East (1404–1412), later Ignatius Behnam Hadliyo, Patriarch of Antioch, and head of the Syriac Orthodox Church from 1445 until his death in 1454 *Baselios Philoxenus, Maphrian of the East (1471–1487) (See

) *Baselios Abraham, Maphrian of the East (1496–1508) (See

) * Baselios Solomon (died 1518), Maphrian of the East of the Syriac Orthodox Church, from 1509 until his death in 1518 *Baselios Blias, Maphrian of the East (1518–1523) (See

) *Baselios, Maphrian of Mosul, a great number of maphrians all called Baselios (See List of maphrians#Maphrians of Mosul (1533–1860) * Baselios Lazarus III (died 1713), Maphrian of the East of the Syriac Orthodox Church, from 1709 until his death in 1713. *

Baselios Sakralla III of Aleppo Baselios Shukrallah of Aleppo was the Maphriano of the East in the Syriac Orthodox Church from 1748 to 1760. He was the Metropolitan bishop, Metropolitan of Aleppo (1746-1748) before he became the Maphriayano of the East. Maphriyano Shukrallah ...

(died 1764), Maphriyano (Catholicos) of the Syriac Orthodox Church of the East from 1748–1760. He came to India in 1751 and was buried there *

Baselios Cleemis Baselios Cleemis (born 15 June 1959) is the current Major Archbishop-Catholicos of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church. He was made a Cardinal (Catholic Church), cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012. At the time of his elevation, he was the you ...

(born 1959), Cardinal, Major Archbishop-Catholicos of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church *

Baselios Paulose I Baselios Paulose I or ''Murimattathil Bava'' (17 January 1836 in Kolenchery, India – 2 May 1913) was the first Catholicos of the East after its reinstatement in India. The First Catholicos of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church was in power ...

(1836–1913), Catholicos of the East, the First Catholicos of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church from 1912 to 1913 *

Baselios Paulose II Mor Baselios Paulose II (Syr: ܡܳܪܝ ܒܰܣܺܝܠܺܝܳܘܣ ܦܰܘܠܽܘܣ ܬܪܶܝܳܢܳܐ; Mal: മോർ ബസേലിയോസ് പൗലോസ് ദ്വിതീയൻ; born Puthusseril Joseph Paulose 12 June 1914 – 1 September ...

(1914–1996), Catholicos of India of the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church from 1975 to 1996 *

Baselios Mar Thoma Paulose II Baselios Marthoma Paulose II (born K. I. Paul of West Mangad; 30 August 1946 – 12 July 2021) was the primate of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. He was ordained in 1973, consecrated in 1985 and enthroned as the 8th Catholicos of the Malan ...

(1946–2021), Catholicos of the East of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church from 2010 *

Baselios Thomas I Mor Baselios Thomas I ( Syr: ܡܳܪܝ̱ ܒܰܣܺܝܠܺܝܳܘܣ ܬܐܳܘܡܰܐ ܩܰܕ݂ܡܳܝܳܐ; Mal: മോർ ബസേലിയോസ് തോമസ് പ്രഥമൻ; Born Cheruvillil Mathai Thomas 22 July 1929 – 31 October 2024) w ...

(1929-2024), Catholicos of India, Maphrian, head of the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church, the Syriac Orthodox Church in India *

Baselios Yeldo Saint Baselios Yeldo (യൽദോ മാർ ബസ്സേലിയോസ് ബാവ) was the Maphrian, Maphrian of the East of the Syriac Orthodox Church from 1678 until his resignation in 1684. He is venerated as a saint in the Malankara ...

(1593–1685), a Saint, Maphrian of the East of the Syriac Orthodox Church from 1678 until his resignation in 1684 *

Cyril Baselios Moran Mor Cyril Baselios Catholicos or, when referencing his title of Major Archbishop, Cyril Baselios Malancharuvil OIC (born ''James Malancharuvil'', 16 August 1935 –18 January 2007) was the first major archbishop of the Syro-Malankara Ca ...

(1935–2007), Maphrian, the first Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church ;variant ''Basilides'' *

Basilides Basilides ( Greek: Βασιλείδης) was an early Christian Gnostic religious teacher in Alexandria, Egypt who taught from 117 to 138 AD, notes that to prove that the heretical sects were "later than the catholic Church," Clement of Alexandr ...

(2nd century AD), Egyptian Gnostic religious teacher

Given name

Basil Alkazzi Basil Alkazzi (; born 1938), is Kuwait-born British visual artist, of Saudi Arabian–Kuwaiti heritage. As a painter he is known for metaphysical and spiritual abstract paintings. He is a supporter of emerging painters through numerous awards and ...

(born 1938), Kuwaiti-born British painter *

Basil Arthur Sir Basil Malcolm Arthur, 5th Baronet (18 September 1928 – 1 May 1985) served as Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives from 1984 to 1985. He was a member of the Labour Party. Biography Early life and career Arthur was born in T ...

(1928–1985), New Zealand politician * Basil Kiiza Bataringaya (1927–1972) Ugandan politician * Basil Bennett (1894–1938), American athlete and Olympic bronze medal winner in hammer throw *

Basil Bernstein Basil Bernard Bernstein (1 November 1924 – 24 September 2000) was a British sociologist known for his work in the sociology of education. He worked on socio-linguistics and the connection between the manner of speaking and social organizati ...

(1924–2000), British sociologist and linguist *

Basil Brooke, 1st Viscount Brookeborough Basil Stanlake Brooke, 1st Viscount Brookeborough (9 June 1888 – 18 August 1973), styled Sir Basil Brooke, 5th Baronet, between 1907 and 1952, and commonly referred to as Lord Brookeborough, was an Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) politician who s ...

(1888–1973), politician and third Prime Minister of Northern Ireland * Basil W. Brown (1927–1997), American politician *

Basil Bunting Basil Cheesman Bunting (1 March 1900 – 17 April 1985) was a British modernist poet whose reputation was established with the publication of '' Briggflatts'' in 1966, generally regarded as one of the major achievements of the modernist traditi ...

(1900–1985), British modernist poet * H. Basil Christian (1871–1950), South African/

Rhodesian Rhodesia ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state, unrecognised state in Southern Africa that existed from 1965 to 1979. Rhodesia served as the ''de facto'' Succession of states, successor state to the ...

farmer and horticulturalist *

Basil Dearden Basil Dearden (born Basil Clive Dear; 1 January 1911 – 23 March 1971) was an English film director. Early life Dearden was born as Basil Clive Dear at 5 Woodfield Road, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex to Charles James Dear, a steel manufacturer, and the ...

(1911–1971), British film director * Basil W. Duke (1838–1916), Confederate American Civil War general and historian *

Basil Embry Air Chief Marshal Sir Basil Edward Embry, (28 February 1902 – 7 December 1977) was a senior Royal Air Force commander. He was Commander-in-Chief of Fighter Command from 1949 to 1953. Early life and career Basil Embry was born in Gloucester ...

(1902–1977), British Royal Air Force officer * Basil Favis, Canadian chemist and professor *

Basil Gogos Basil Gogos (March 12, 1929 – September 13, 2017) was an Egyptian-American illustrator best known for his portraits of movie monsters which appeared on the covers of ''Famous Monsters of Filmland'' magazine in the 1960s and 1970s. Early lif ...

(1929–2017), American illustrator *

Basil Gomez Basil Gomez (born 1955) is an Anglo-American geomorphologist with a particular interest in fluvial processes and the sources, transport and sinks of riverine sediment and particulate matter. Educated at Maidstone Technical High School for Boys ...

(born 1955), Anglo-American geomorphologist *

Basil Gunasekara Admiral Deshamanya D. Basil Gunasekara (7 May 1929 – 17 February 2024) was the Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy from 1973 to 1979. Early life and education Born to a planter in Katana, Gunasekara was the youngest child of a family of five m ...

(1929-2024), 7th Commander of the

Sri Lanka Navy The Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) (; ) is the navy, naval arm of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces and is classed as the country's most vital defence force due to its island geography. It is responsible for the maritime defence of the Sri Lankan nation and its ...

* Basil Buzz Hargrove, known as

Buzz Hargrove Basil Eldon "Buzz" Hargrove (March 8, 1944 – June 15, 2025) was a Canadian labour leader and onetime National President of the Canadian Auto Workers. Until his death in 2025, he served as a Distinguished Visiting Professor at Toronto Metropo ...

(born 1944), Canadian former labour union leader * B. H. Liddell Hart (1895–1970), English soldier, military historian and leading inter-war theorist *

Basil Hetzel Basil Stuart Hetzel (13 June 1922 – 4 February 2017) was an Australian medical researcher who made a major contribution to combating iodine deficiency, a major cause of goitre and cretinism worldwide. Early life and education Hetzel was bo ...

(1922–2017), Australian medical researcher *

Basil Hiley Basil James Hiley (15 November 1935 – 25 January 2025) was a British physicist and professor emeritus of the University of London. Long-time colleague of David Bohm, Hiley is known for his work with Bohm on implicate orders and for his work ...

(born 1935), British quantum physicist *

Basil Hood Basil Willett Charles Hood (5 April 1864 – 7 August 1917) was a British dramatist and lyricist, perhaps best known for writing the libretti of half a dozen Savoy Operas and for his English adaptations of operettas, including ''The Merry Wi ...

(1864–1917), British librettist and lyricist *

Basil Joseph Basil Joseph (born 28 April 1989) is an Indian film actor and director who works in the Malayalam film industry. He started his film career as an assistant director of Vineeth Sreenivasan in the 2013 film ''Thira''. He has directed three films ...

(born 1990), Indian actor/director * Basil Al Kubaisi (1934–1973), assassinated Iraqi nationalist activist and academic *

Basil McIntosh Basil Walton McIntosh is a Bahamian politician from the Progressive Liberal Party. Career In the 2021 Bahamian general election, he was elected in MICAL constituency. He is Minister of State for the Environment. He intends to stand in the ...

, Bahamian politician *

Basil Mott Sir Basil Mott, 1st Baronet, FRS (16 September 1859 – 7 September 1938) was one of the most notable English civil engineers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was responsible for some of the most innovative work on tunnels and bridg ...

(1859–1938), British civil engineer *

Basil O'Connor Daniel Basil O'Connor (January 8, 1892 – March 9, 1972) was an American lawyer and nonprofit executive. In cooperation with U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt he started two foundations for the rehabilitation of polio patients and the resea ...

(1892–1972), American lawyer and chairman and president of the American Red Cross *

Basil Charles Godfrey Place Rear Admiral Basil Charles Godfrey Place, (19 July 1921 – 27 December 1994), known as Godfrey Place, was an officer in the Royal Navy and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be a ...

(1921–1994), British Royal Navy rear-admiral and recipient of the Victoria Cross *

Basil Radford Arthur Basil RadfordAdam Greaves, "Radford, (Arthur) Basil (1897–1952)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, May 201available online Retrieved 3 August 2020. (25 June 189720 October 1952) was an English chara ...

(1897–1952), British actor *

Basil Rathbone Philip St. John Basil Rathbone MC (13 June 1892 – 21 July 1967) was an Anglo-South African actor. He rose to prominence in the United Kingdom as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in more than 70 films, primarily costume drama ...

(1892–1967), British actor *

Basil Spence Sir Basil Urwin Spence, (13 August 1907 – 19 November 1976) was a Scottish architect, most notably associated with Coventry Cathedral in England and the Beehive in New Zealand, but also responsible for numerous other buildings in the Moderni ...

(1907–1976), Scottish architect *

Basil Thampi Basil Thampi (born 11 September 1993) is an Indian cricketer who represents Kerala in the domestic cricket. He is a right-handed batsman and right-arm fast-medium pacer. He made his IPL debut for Gujarat Lions in the 2017 Indian Premier League ...

(1983) Indian Cricketer *

Basil Valdez Basil Salvador Valdez (; born November 8, 1951) is a Filipino singer. He has received several Tinig Awards and the 1991 Tanglaw ng Lahi Award from Ateneo de Manila University. Biography Valdez recalled in a 2024 interview that his impromptu ...

(born 1951), Filipino singer *

Basil Wolverton Basil Wolverton (July 9, 1909 – December 31, 1978)
at the

Basil Zaharoff Sir Basil Zaharoff (born Zacharias Basileios Zacharoff; 6 October 1849 – 27 November 1936) was a Greek arms dealer and industrialist. One of the richest men in the world during his lifetime, Zaharoff was described as both a "merchant of death" ...

(1849–1936), Greek arms trader and financier, and chairman of the Vickers munitions company during World War I ;Variant ''Bassel'' *

Bassel al-Assad Bassel al-Assad (; 23 March 196221 January 1994) was a Syrian military officer, engineer and politician. He was the eldest son of the 18th Syrian president Hafez al-Assad. He was expected to succeed his father as president until his death in a ...

(1962–1994), the eldest son of the late Syrian President Hafez al-Assad *

Bassel Khartabil Bassel Khartabil (; 22 May 1981 – 3 October 2015), also known as Bassel Safadi (), was a Palestinian-Syrian open-source software developer. He was detained without trial by the Syrian government in 2012 and was secretly executed in 2015. Hu ...

(1981–2015) Palestinian-Syrian open-source software developer *

Bassel Shehadeh Bassel Shehadeh () (January 31, 1984 – May 28, 2012) was a Syrian Christian film maker, producer, IT Engineer, environmental and cultural activist, and a well-known civil activist during the Syrian uprising in 2011 to 2012. He was a pioneer in o ...

(1984–2012) Syrian film producer

Surname

Steve Basil Stephen John Basil (April 2, 1893 – June 24, 1962) was an American Major League Baseball umpire who worked in the American League from 1936 to 1942. Basil umpired in two World Series (1937 and 1940) and in two All-Star Games (1938 and 1940 ...

(1893–1962), American baseball umpire *

Toni Basil Antonia Christina Basilotta (born September 22, 1943), better known by her stage name Toni Basil, is an American singer, choreographer, dancer, actress, and director. Her cover of the song " Mickey" topped the charts in the US, Canada and Austral ...

(born 1943), American musician, video artist, actress, and choreographer * Richard Basil (born 1967), American former college football coach *

Sam Basil Samuel H. Basil (16 November 1969 – 11 May 2022) was a Papua New Guinean politician. He was a member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea from 2007, representing the electorate of Bulolo Open, until his death in 2022. From 8 June 2 ...

(1969-2022), Papua New Guinean politician *

Sam Basil Jr. Sam Basil Jr. is a Papua New Guinean politician from the United Labor Party. He represents Bulolo Open in the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea. He is the son of former deputy prime minister of Papua New Guinea Sam Basil. References ...

, Papua New Guinean politician *

Wassily de Basil Vassily Grigorievich Voskresensky (; 27 July 1951), usually referred to as Colonel Wassily de Basil, was a Russian ballet impresario. De Basil was born in Kaunas, Russian Empire (now in Lithuania), in 1888 (his year of birth is given alternately ...

(1888–1951), Russian ballet impresario ;variant ''Bacile'' * Giovanni Bacile (1880–1941), Italian Roman Catholic priest ;variant ''Baseley'' *

Godfrey Baseley Cyril Godfrey Baseley (2 October 1904 – 2 February 1997), known as Godfrey Baseley, was the creator and editor of the long-running BBC radio programme, ''The Archers''. Early life Godfrey Baseley was born at The Square, Alvechurch in Worceste ...

(1904–1997), American radio executive * William Baseley (1521–1573/74), 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 ''Basileus'' () is a Greek term and title that has signified various types of monarchs throughout history. In the English-speaking world, it is perhaps most widely understood to mean , referring to either a or an . The title was used by sover ...

is a Greek nobility title and names bearing this title are excluded here'' * István Basilius (1549–1581), Hungarian Unitarian minister ;variant ''Basilone'' *

John Basilone John Basilone (November 4, 1916 – February 19, 1945) was a United States Marine Corps gunnery sergeant who received the Medal of Honor for actions during the Battle for Henderson Field in the Guadalcanal campaign, and the Navy Cross posthumou ...

(1916–1945), American soldier and U.S. Marine, recipient of the Medal of Honor ;variant ''Bassil'' *

Gebran Bassil Gebran Gerge Bassil (; born 21 June 1970) is a Lebanese politician who is the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement since 2015 and leader of the Strong Lebanon bloc in the Lebanese parliament since 2018. A Maronite Christian, he is the son-in-l ...

(born 1970), Lebanese politician * Philip S. Bassil (born 1976) Lebanese-Canadian Investment Banker and financier * Ray Bassil (born 1988), Lebanese athlete ;variant ''Bazeley'' * ''see

Bazeley Bazeley or Bazely is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Darren Bazeley (born 1972), English footballer * Geoffrey Bazeley (1906–1989), British architect * George Bazeley (born 1984), Australian field hockey goalie * John Bazely ...

'' ;variant ''Bazell'' * Josh Bazell (born 1970), American author and physician * Robert Bazell (20th Century), American academic ;variant ''Bazil'' *

Louis Bazil Louis Bazil (1695 – February 20, 1752) was a French merchant and militia officer in New France. Bazil traded between his home in Quebec and La Rochelle, as well as Martinique and Île Royale. He was well-connected; in 1736, he was granted a conce ...

(1695–1752), French merchant and militia officer *

Ezekiel Bazil Ezekiel Bazil (born 16 November 1965). is a Dominican politician who has served in the House of Assembly of Dominica since 2010. He is the current president of the United Workers' Party. Bazil earned numerous certifications in the insurance indu ...

(born 1965), Dominican politician ;variant ''Bazley'' *

Bazley Bazley is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bazley baronets, of Hatherop in the County of Gloucester, a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom *Arthur Bazley *Colin Bazley *James Bazley * John Bazley White (1848–1927), ...

;variant ''Pasi'' * Riccardo Pasi (born 1990), Italian footballer *

Geeta Pasi Geeta Pasi (born 1962) is a retired American diplomat. She was the American ambassador to Djibouti from 2011 to 2014. She was appointed American ambassador to Chad in June 2016 and served until 2018. In September 2018, she left the ambassadorship ...

(born 1962), American diplomat ;variant ''Vasil'' (excluding ''Vasil'') *

Adria Vasil Adria Vasil is a Canadian environmental journalist. She is the managing editor aCorporate Knights a sustainable economy magazine circulated in the Globe and Mail, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal. She started writing NOW Magazine's Ecoholic ...

(21st Century), Canadian journalist ;variant ''Vasile'' * ''see Vasile#As a surname'' ;variant ''Vasili'' *

Laert Vasili Laert Vasili (, , ''Laertis Vasiliou''; born March 7, 1974) is an Albanian actor, film and theatre director and political commentator, known for his roles in theater and cinema. Vasili has often been part of public debates, among the key voices ...

(born 1974), Greek Albanian actor and director *

Petrit Vasili Petrit Vasili is an Albanian politician. He was the chairman of Socialist Movement for Integration party and minister of health in the cabinet of Sali Berisha. Early life Vasili was born on 4 June 1958 in Tirana. Vasili graduated from the Unive ...

(born 1958), Albanian politician *

Eni Vasili Eni Vasili (born May 25, 1976) is an Albanian journalist, writer, former news reporter and host of the TV talk show ''Open'', which was initially broadcast on Top Channel and later moved to News 24. She is currently the General Director of RTSH ...

is an Albanian journalist, writer, former news reporter and host of the TV talk show ''Open'', which airs two times a week in the national television

Top Channel Top Channel is a national commercial television network in Tirana, Albania, founded by Dritan Hoxha in 2001. It is part of the Top Media Group, one of the largest media conglomerates in Albania, which includes Top Albania Radio, Top Gold Radi ...

. ;variant ''Vasilj'' *

Ivan Anton Vasilj Ivan Anton Vasilj (born 5 April 1991) is a Croatian football player who plays for Zadar. Club career Vasilj passed through all the ranks of the NK Zadar academy. A captain of their U-19 team at the time, he made his professional debut in the Pr ...

(born 1991), Croatian football player *

Mario Vasilj Mario Vasilj (born 23 December 1983) is a Swedish retired football central defender. He is the head coach of Östers IF's U21 team and assistant manager of the club's first team. Playing career Vasilj joined Östers IF in 2006 from amateur sid ...

(born 1983), Swedish professional footballer *

Vladimir Vasilj Vladimir Vasilj (born 6 July 1975) is a Croatian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Born in Germany, he made two appearances for the Croatia national team. Career Born in Hanover, West Germany, Vasilj started his profe ...

(born 1975), former Croatian professional footballer ; variant ''Vasko'' *

Vasko (surname) Vasko, Vaško, Vaskó are surnames. Notable people with the surnames include: * Alexa Vasko *Elmer Vasko, Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman *Ethan Vasko *Filip Vaško Filip Vaško (born 11 August 1999) is a Slovak professional footbal ...

; variant ''Vasović'' * ''see Vasović'' ;variant ''Vassili'' *

Amaury Vassili Amaury Vassili Chotard (born 8 June 1989) is a French opera singer and professional tenor. His debut album, ''Vincerò'' (2009), went double platinum in France, and he has had international success with releases in Canada, South Africa, and So ...

(born 1989), French singer *

Vassilis Vassili Vasilis Vasili (Greek: Βασίλης Βασίλη), born in 1964 is a Greek contemporary visual artist working primarily in sculpture. Career Vasilis Vasili studied at the School of Fine Arts in Athens, Greece, from 1992 to 1997. In 1999, h ...

(born 1964), Greek sculptor ;variant ''Wasilewski'' * ''see Wasilewski''

Fictional characters

*Basil, protagonist of Wilkie Collins' 1852 novel ''

Basil Basil (, ; , ; ''Ocimum basilicum'' (, )), also called great basil, is a culinary herb of the family Lamiaceae (mints). It is a hardiness (plants), tender plant, and is used in cuisines worldwide. In Western cuisine, the generic term "basil" r ...

'' *Basil, protagonist of the ''

Basil of Baker Street ''Basil of Baker Street'' is a series of children's novels written by Eve Titus and illustrated by Paul Galdone. The stories focus on the titular Basil of Baker Street and his personal biographer Doctor David Q. Dawson. Together they solve the m ...

'' novels and the movie ''

The Great Mouse Detective ''The Great Mouse Detective'' (released as ''Basil the Great Mouse Detective'' in some countries and ''The Adventures of the Great Mouse Detective'' during its 1992 re-release) is a 1986 American animated mystery adventure film produced by W ...

'' *Basil, a character in the television series ''

Fraggle Rock ''Fraggle Rock'' (also known as ''Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock'' or ''Fraggle Rock with Jim Henson's Muppets'') is a children's Musical film, musical Fantasy film, fantasy television comedy, comedy puppet television series about interconnected so ...

'' *

Basil Fawlty Basil Fawlty is the main character of the 1970s British sitcom ''Fawlty Towers'', played by John Cleese. The proprietor of the hotel Fawlty Towers, he is a cynical and misanthropic snob, desperate to attract hotel guests from the British upper ...

, the main character in ''

Fawlty Towers ''Fawlty Towers'' is a British television sitcom written by John Cleese and Connie Booth, originally broadcast on BBC Two in 1975 and 1979. Two series of six episodes each were made. The series is set in Fawlty Towers, a dysfunctional fictional ...

'' *

Basil Brush Basil Brush is a fictional fox best known for his appearances on daytime British children's television. He is primarily portrayed by a glove puppet, but has also been depicted in animated cartoon shorts, books, annuals and comic strips. The char ...

, a glove puppet fox popular on children's television in the UK *Basil, main character of the Canadian children's show ''

Sesame Park ''Sesame Park'' is the Canadian version of ''Sesame Street'' co-produced by Sesame Workshop and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The series originally functioned as a re-edited version of the original American series, and was named ''Sesam ...

'' *Basil, a character in the anime and manga series ''

Reborn! ''Reborn!'', known in Japan as and also as ''Hitman Reborn!'' for disambiguation purposes, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akira Amano. It was serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from M ...

'' *Basil, a character in the Playhouse Disney TV series ''

Johnny and the Sprites ''Johnny and the Sprites'' is an American children's musical television show that aired every weekend on the "Playhouse Disney" block on Disney Channel. The show was created by, produced by, and starred John Tartaglia. The show's theme song was w ...

'' *Basil Wombat, a character on '' SeeMore's Playhouse'' *Basil, a character in the breeding and farming game '' Harvest Moon'' *Basil, a main character in the role-playing horror game ''

Omori Ōmori or Omori may refer to: Places * Ōmori is a district located a few kilometres south of Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan accessed by rail via the Keihin-Tohoku Line, Keihin Tohoku line, or by road via Japan National Route 15, Dai Ichi Keihin. ...

'' *Basil Hallward, the artist that paints the haunting portrait of Dorian Gray in Oscar Wilde's ''

The Picture of Dorian Gray ''The Picture of Dorian Gray'' is an 1890 philosophical fiction and Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish writer Oscar Wilde. A shorter novella-length version was published in the July 1890 issue of the American period ...

'' *Basil the Bat Lord, an enemy racer in the video game ''

Lego Racers ''Lego Racers'' is a 1999 Lego-themed kart racing video game developed by High Voltage Software and published by Lego Media for Microsoft Windows, followed by console ports to Nintendo 64 and PlayStation (console), PlayStation. Set in the ficti ...

'' *Basil Stag Hare, member of the Fur and Foot Fighting Patrol in Brian Jacques' ''

Redwall ''Redwall'' is a series of children's fantasy novels by British writer Brian Jacques, published from 1986 to 2011. It is also the title of the first book of the series, published in 1986, as well as the name of the abbey featured in the book, ...

'' *Sir Basil Hawkins, a character in a popular manga ''

One Piece ''One Piece'' (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and his crew, the Straw Hat Pirates, as he explores the Grand Line in search of the myt ...

'' *Basil Humphrey, Head of

Scotland Yard Scotland Yard (officially New Scotland Yard) is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, the territorial police force responsible for policing Greater London's London boroughs, 32 boroughs. Its name derives from the location of the original ...

from the film ''

Dracula's Daughter ''Dracula's Daughter'' is a 1936 American vampire horror film produced by Universal Pictures as a sequel to the 1931 film ''Dracula''. Directed by Lambert Hillyer from a screenplay by Garrett Fort, the film stars Otto Kruger, Gloria Holden in ...

'' *Basil Exposition, a character in the film '' Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery'' *Basil, Alex Delarge's snake from the film ''

A Clockwork Orange ''A Clockwork Orange'' may refer to: * ''A Clockwork Orange'' (novel), a 1962 novel by Anthony Burgess ** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (film), a 1971 film directed by Stanley Kubrick based on the novel *** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (soundtrack), the film ...

'' *Basil Brightberry, the gentlemouse sommelier in the ''

Brambly Hedge ''Brambly Hedge'' is a series of illustrated children's books by Jill Barklem, recounting the adventures of a community of mice who live together in the tranquil surroundings of the English countryside. The writer described ''Brambly Hedge'' as ...

'' series *Basil Ransom, a Mississippi lawyer in Henry James's 1886 novel ''The Bostonians'' *Basil, a pirate in the film ''

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang ''Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'' is a 1968 children's film, children's Musical film, musical fantasy film directed by Ken Hughes and produced by Albert R. Broccoli. It stars Dick Van Dyke, Sally Ann Howes, Lionel Jeffries, Gert Fröbe, Anna Quayle, ...

'' *Tyrannus Basilton Grimm-Pitch, a character in the novel ''

Carry On Carry On may refer to: Film * ''Carry On'' (film), a 1927 British silent film * ''Carry On'' (franchise), a British comedy media franchise *''Carry-On'', a 2024 American action thriller film Music Albums * ''Carry On'' (Chris Cornell album) * '' ...

'' by

Rainbow Rowell Rainbow Rowell (born February 24, 1973) is an American author known for young adult and adult contemporary novels. Her young adult novels '' Eleanor & Park'' (2012), '' Fangirl'' (2013), and '' Carry On'' (2015) have been subjects of critical accl ...

*Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, a character in the book ''

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler ''From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler'' is a children's novel by E. L. Konigsburg. The book follows siblings Claudia and Jamie Kincaid as they run away from home to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. It ...

'' by E. L. Konigsburg *Basil, a character from the children's series ''

Babar Babar (), also variously spelled as Baber, Babur, and Babor is a male given name of Persian language, Persian origin, and a popular male given name in Pakistan. It is generally taken in reference to the Persian language, Persian ''babr'' (Persian ...

'' *Basil Steele, a character from the Welsh children's series ''

Fireman Sam ''Fireman Sam'' () is a British animated children's television series about a fireman named Sam, his fellow firefighters, and other residents in the fictional Welsh rural village of Pontypandy (a portmanteau of two real towns, Pontypridd and T ...

References

{{given name, type=both Surnames English given names English-language masculine given names English masculine given names Masculine given names Given names derived from plants or flowers Given names of Greek language origin