Explore the Family Name Basil
The meaning of Basil
1. English (Hertfordshire): from the Middle English personal name Basil, itself from Old French Basil(e), Latin Basilius, ultimately from Greek Basileios ‘royal’. The name was borne by a 4th-century bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, regarded as one of the four Fathers of the Eastern Church; he wrote important theological works and established a rule for religious orders of monks. Various other Christian saints are also known under these and cognate names. The popularity of Vasily as a Russian personal name is largely due to the fact that this was the ecclesiastical name of Saint Vladimir (956–1015), Prince of Kiev, who was chiefly responsible for the introduction of Christianity to Russia. In North America, the English form of the surname has absorbed Italian cognate Basile 1 and some Greek and Slavic derivatives of the classical Greek personal name Basileios (see Vasil). 2. Americanized form of French Basile 2, a cognate of 1 above.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Basil in the United States?
According to the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Basil has increased over time. In 2000, Basil ranked 13,717 in terms of popularity and had a count of 2,027, which is roughly an incidence of 0.75 per 100,000 people. By 2010, the rank of the name had risen to 13,088 and the count to 2,344, equating to an approximate proportion of 0.79 per 100,000 people. This change signifies a 4.59% increase in rank and a 15.64% increase in count, revealing that the use of the surname Basil became more common in the United States during this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,717 | #13,088 | 4.59% |
| Count | 2,027 | 2,344 | 15.64% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.75 | 0.79 | 5.33% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Basil
Analyzing the ethnic identity associated with the surname Basil, data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows noticeable changes between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic nearly doubled, with increases of 104.73% and 96.77% respectively. The proportion of individuals identifying as Black also saw a slight rise of 14.68%. On the other hand, the percentage of those claiming White ethnicity decreased by 6.60%, and there was a significant drop of 39.71% for those identifying as belonging to two or more races. Interestingly, the representation of American Indian and Alaskan Native identities amongst those bearing the Basil surname rose considerably from 0.25% to 0.73%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 83.18% | 77.69% | -6.6% |
| Black | 8.04% | 9.22% | 14.68% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 2.96% | 6.06% | 104.73% |
| Hispanic | 2.17% | 4.27% | 96.77% |
| Two or More Races | 3.4% | 2.05% | -39.71% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.25% | 0.73% | 192% |