Basil is a distinctive choice, ranked #1124 in 2025. Your child is likely to be the only Basil in their class.
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UK Rank 2025
#1124
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About the Name Basil
Basil is climbing rapidly up the charts, having climbed 210 places in just five years. Its best recorded rank was #1023 in 2021 — and current momentum suggests it could challenge that mark again. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Basil is uncommon in the UK, so your child is very likely to be the only Basil in their class.
⭐ Famous People Named Basil
Basil Sieber — Basil Sieber is a Swiss skeleton racer who competed at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games and finished 22nd in the skeleton event.
Toni Basil — Antonia Christina Basilotta, better known by her stage name Toni Basil, is an American singer, choreographer, dancer, actress, and director.
Basil I — Basil I, nicknamed "the Macedonian" (Greek: Βασίλειος ὁ Μακεδών, romanized: Basíleios ō Makedṓn; 811 – 29 August 886), was Byzantine emperor from 867 to 886.
Biographical summaries are shortened from Wikipedia and are used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; those summaries remain available under that same licence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Basil
Unlikely. With around 26 UK babies named Basil per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Basil in their class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Basil is rising: up 368 places since 2020, to #1,124 in 2025. Its best recorded position was #1,023 in 2021.
Basil is a distinctive choice sitting outside the mainstream UK top names. Parents choosing less common names often find their children appreciate the individuality as they grow up, rarely needing to add an initial to distinguish themselves.
Notable people named Basil include: Basil Sieber, Toni Basil and Basil Wallace. Short summaries for each appear below.
Basil does not appear in the US top 1,000 baby names, making it a distinctively British choice — your child is unlikely to encounter American Basils in the wild.
26
UK babies named Basil (2025)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↑ 368 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Basil
Almost certainly the only Basil in the class
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UK Popularity (1996–2025)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
No US data available for this name
✨ Similar names to Basil
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Basil I, nicknamed "the Macedonian" (Greek: Βασίλειος ὁ Μακεδών, romanized: Basíleios ō Makedṓn; 811 – 29 August 886), was Byzantine emperor from 867 to 886.
Basil of Caesarea, also called Saint Basil the Great (330 – 1 or 2 January 379), was an early Christian prelate of the who served as Bishop of Caesarea Mazaca in Cappadocia from 370 until his death in 379.
Basil II Porphyrogenitus (Greek: Βασίλειος Πορφυρογέννητος, romanized: Basíleios Porphyrogénnētos; 958 – 15 December 1025), given the epithet the Bulgar Slayer, was the senior Byzantine emperor from 976 to 1025.