Basil
#5,410 for girls in 2025, 23 births · #2,020 for boys in 2025, 74 births
Given to boys 97.3% of the time
- Peak · boys
- 1897 · 33 births
- Debut · boys
- 11 births
- In top 100 · boys
- neverof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 13,172since 1880
Basil over time
Rank among boys' names. Basil has never cracked the top 300 here.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | #5,410 | 23 | #2,020 | 74 |
| 2024 | #6,167 | 19 | #2,012 | 76 |
| 2023 | #5,248 | 24 | #2,032 | 74 |
| 2022 | #4,793 | 28 | #1,826 | 88 |
| 2021 | #4,607 | 29 | #2,000 | 74 |
| 2020 | #6,325 | 18 | #2,323 | 58 |
| 2019 | #4,773 | 28 | #2,042 | 71 |
| 2018 | #5,007 | 26 | #2,065 | 69 |
| 2017 | #5,191 | 25 | #2,240 | 59 |
| 2016 | #5,796 | 22 | #2,228 | 60 |
| 2015 | #7,266 | 16 | #2,429 | 52 |
| 2014 | #6,987 | 17 | #2,705 | 44 |
| 2013 | #6,017 | 21 | #2,278 | 56 |
| 2012 | #6,110 | 21 | #2,632 | 46 |
| 2011 | #13,347 | 7 | #2,699 | 44 |
| 2010 | #9,790 | 11 | #2,579 | 47 |
| 2009 | #13,704 | 7 | #2,287 | 57 |
| 2008 | #17,504 | 5 | #3,486 | 31 |
| 2007 | — | #2,257 | 58 | |
| 2006 | #13,606 | 7 | #2,062 | 64 |
| 2005 | — | #2,399 | 48 | |
| 2004 | — | #2,599 | 41 | |
| 2003 | — | #2,006 | 57 | |
| 2002 | — | #1,943 | 57 | |
| 2001 | — | #1,841 | 60 | |
| 2000 | — | #1,742 | 64 | |
| 1999 | — | #1,778 | 56 | |
| 1998 | — | #1,585 | 66 | |
| 1997 | — | #1,773 | 54 | |
| 1996 | — | #1,421 | 73 | |
| 1995 | — | #1,477 | 65 | |
| 1994 | — | #1,383 | 71 | |
| 1993 | — | #1,420 | 67 | |
| 1992 | — | #1,321 | 73 | |
| 1991 | — | #1,382 | 67 | |
| 1990 | — | #1,336 | 69 | |
| 1989 | — | #1,615 | 49 | |
| 1988 | — | #1,319 | 61 | |
| 1987 | — | #1,248 | 61 | |
| 1986 | — | #1,153 | 67 | |
| 1985 | — | #1,485 | 45 | |
| 1984 | — | #1,422 | 45 | |
| 1983 | — | #1,000 | 78 | |
| 1982 | — | #1,254 | 55 | |
| 1981 | — | #1,294 | 51 | |
| 1980 | — | #1,176 | 60 | |
| 1979 | — | #1,270 | 52 | |
| 1978 | — | #1,214 | 54 | |
| 1977 | — | #1,099 | 62 | |
| 1976 | — | #1,210 | 51 | |
| 1975 | — | #1,099 | 58 | |
| 1974 | — | #1,198 | 48 | |
| 1973 | — | #1,074 | 57 | |
| 1972 | — | #1,000 | 65 | |
| 1971 | — | #998 | 66 | |
| 1970 | — | #1,016 | 64 | |
| 1969 | — | #989 | 60 | |
| 1968 | — | #968 | 57 | |
| 1967 | — | #848 | 71 | |
| 1966 | — | #762 | 92 | |
| 1965 | — | #815 | 82 | |
| 1964 | — | #784 | 92 | |
| 1963 | — | #763 | 101 | |
| 1962 | — | #779 | 95 | |
| 1961 | — | #720 | 113 | |
| 1960 | — | #733 | 110 | |
| 1959 | — | #735 | 109 | |
| 1958 | — | #732 | 103 | |
| 1957 | — | #772 | 95 | |
| 1956 | — | #718 | 104 | |
| 1955 | — | #720 | 103 | |
| 1954 | — | #682 | 112 | |
| 1953 | — | #616 | 139 | |
| 1952 | — | #688 | 103 | |
| 1951 | — | #668 | 109 | |
| 1950 | — | #658 | 113 | |
| 1949 | — | #649 | 111 | |
| 1948 | — | #629 | 116 | |
| 1947 | — | #535 | 158 | |
| 1946 | — | #592 | 117 | |
| 1945 | — | #603 | 101 | |
| 1944 | — | #564 | 117 | |
| 1943 | — | #544 | 132 | |
| 1942 | — | #472 | 169 | |
| 1941 | — | #513 | 132 | |
| 1940 | — | #487 | 140 | |
| 1939 | — | #495 | 135 | |
| 1938 | — | #460 | 157 | |
| 1937 | — | #463 | 145 | |
| 1936 | — | #401 | 189 | |
| 1935 | — | #417 | 175 | |
| 1934 | — | #447 | 159 | |
| 1933 | — | #413 | 172 | |
| 1932 | — | #396 | 200 | |
| 1931 | — | #454 | 154 | |
| 1930 | — | #386 | 219 | |
| 1929 | — | #373 | 238 | |
| 1928 | — | #431 | 191 | |
| 1927 | #4,805 | 5 | #371 | 249 |
| 1926 | — | #385 | 232 | |
| 1925 | — | #370 | 259 | |
| 1924 | — | #354 | 281 | |
| 1923 | — | #379 | 245 | |
| 1922 | — | #382 | 247 | |
| 1921 | — | #374 | 266 | |
| 1920 | — | #383 | 243 | |
| 1919 | #3,817 | 7 | #352 | 262 |
| 1918 | — | #387 | 239 | |
| 1917 | — | #379 | 221 | |
| 1916 | — | #341 | 244 | |
| 1915 | — | #339 | 243 | |
| 1914 | — | #375 | 161 | |
| 1913 | — | #387 | 120 | |
| 1912 | — | #359 | 114 | |
| 1911 | — | #328 | 69 | |
| 1910 | — | #383 | 46 | |
| 1909 | — | #403 | 37 | |
| 1908 | — | #365 | 39 | |
| 1907 | — | #351 | 39 | |
| 1906 | — | #378 | 32 | |
| 1905 | — | #384 | 30 | |
| 1904 | — | #328 | 37 | |
| 1903 | — | #411 | 23 | |
| 1902 | — | #348 | 32 | |
| 1901 | — | #347 | 28 | |
| 1900 | — | #357 | 37 | |
| 1899 | — | #336 | 28 | |
| 1898 | — | #377 | 27 | |
| 1897 | — | #321 | 33 | |
| 1896 | — | #323 | 34 | |
| 1895 | — | #414 | 22 | |
| 1894 | — | #349 | 27 | |
| 1893 | — | #383 | 22 | |
| 1892 | — | #404 | 22 | |
| 1891 | — | #524 | 12 | |
| 1890 | — | #434 | 17 | |
| 1889 | — | #464 | 16 | |
| 1888 | — | #416 | 20 | |
| 1887 | — | #488 | 13 | |
| 1886 | — | #605 | 10 | |
| 1885 | — | #498 | 14 | |
| 1884 | — | #570 | 11 | |
| 1883 | — | #677 | 8 | |
| 1882 | — | #540 | 12 | |
| 1881 | — | #595 | 9 | |
| 1880 | — | #571 | 11 | |
In the first year the SSA published name data, Basil was already there! It came in at #571, and was given to 11 baby boys.
Quietest stretch: 1880–1884, when fewer than 13 boys a year got the name.
Where Basil is popular in 1927
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
- West Virginia#116 · 1 in 677
- Maine#137 · 1 in 768
- Michigan#195 · 1 in 1,824
- Maryland#196 · 1 in 2,107
- Missouri#249 · 1 in 2,425
Best ever in a state: #60 in Maine, 1912.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | #116 | 27 | 1 in 677 |
| Maine | #137 | 8 | 1 in 768 |
| Michigan | #195 | 23 | 1 in 1,824 |
| Maryland | #196 | 6 | 1 in 2,107 |
| Missouri | #249 | 12 | 1 in 2,425 |
| Ohio | #254 | 16 | 1 in 3,309 |
| Indiana | #262 | 8 | 1 in 3,244 |
| Wisconsin | #272 | 7 | 1 in 3,495 |
| Tennessee | #274 | 10 | 1 in 2,504 |
| Pennsylvania | #277 | 20 | 1 in 4,402 |
| Arkansas | #280 | 9 | 1 in 2,003 |
| Iowa | #286 | 6 | 1 in 3,293 |
| Massachusetts | #288 | 6 | 1 in 5,659 |
| Oklahoma | #310 | 8 | 1 in 2,872 |
| New York | #325 | 18 | 1 in 5,446 |
| Alabama | #326 | 10 | 1 in 2,829 |
| Illinois | #400 | 8 | 1 in 7,379 |
| Kentucky | #424 | 6 | 1 in 4,435 |
| Texas | #667 | 8 | 1 in 7,115 |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arizona | — | — | — |
| California | — | — | — |
| Colorado | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Florida | — | — | — |
| Georgia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Kansas | — | — | — |
| Louisiana | — | — | — |
| Minnesota | — | — | — |
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| Nebraska | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Jersey | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| North Carolina | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Oregon | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| South Carolina | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Utah | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — |
| Virginia | — | — | — |
| Washington | — | — | — |
| Wyoming | — | — | — |
Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.
See more about Basil
- 8 spots since 2024 (#2,012 → #2,020)
- 303 spots since 2020 (#2,323 → #2,020)
- 409 spots since 2015 (#2,429 → #2,020)
- Biggest jump: 254 spots in 1983 (#1,254 → #1,000)
- Biggest drop: 422 spots in 1984 (#1,000 → #1,422)
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1897 at #321 (33 births)
- Not yet halved from its peak
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: never
- Top 1,000: 93 yrs · run 1880–1969
- Highest: 1 in 3,275 boys born in 1911 were named Basil (0.03%)
- Latest: 1 in 23,082 boys born in 2025 (0.00%)
- Its best rank, #321 in 1897, was only 1 in 3,417 (0.03%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
- 18.6% of all boys named Basil (2,451) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 124 | #416 (1888) | #542 |
| 1890s | 244 | #321 (1897) | #387 |
| 1900s | 334 | #328 (1904) | #367 |
| 1910s | 1,719 | #328 (1911) | #363 |
| 1920s | 2,451 | #354 (1924) | #380 |
| 1930s | 1,705 | #386 (1930) | #433 |
| 1940s | 1,293 | #472 (1942) | #559 |
| 1950s | 1,090 | #616 (1953) | #699 |
| 1960s | 873 | #720 (1961) | #816 |
| 1970s | 577 | #998 (1971) | #1,118 |
| 1980s | 572 | #1,000 (1983) | #1,297 |
| 1990s | 661 | #1,321 (1992) | #1,488 |
| 2000s | 537 | #1,742 (2000) | #2,262 |
| 2010s | 548 | #2,042 (2019) | #2,390 |
| 2020s | 444 | #1,826 (2022) | #2,036 |
All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.
Basil in 1927
Top girls' names in 1927
Top boys' names in 1927
More about 1927
girls
1,192,431 girls got a published name in 1927; 1 in 238,486 of them was named Basil, which outranked 14.2% of the 5,602 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 22.4% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
Tied with 797 names at #4,805; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
1,126,915 boys got a published name in 1927; 1 in 4,526 of them was named Basil, which outranked 92.3% of the 4,802 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.2% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).
Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.