| Basil | Isidore | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | kingly, royal | gift of Isis |
| Origin | greek | greek |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | BAZ-il | IZ-i-dor |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 0 | 0 |
| Peak year | 1924 (281) | 1919 (183) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Trend | Vintage | Vintage |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Basil | Isidore |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 444 | 156 |
| 2010s | 548 | 130 |
| 2000s | 537 | 64 |
| 1990s | 661 | 30 |
| 1980s | 572 | 20 |
| 1970s | 577 | 31 |
| 1960s | 873 | 98 |
| 1950s | 1,090 | 135 |
| 1940s | 1,293 | 101 |
| 1930s | 1,705 | 180 |
| 1920s | 2,451 | 849 |
| 1910s | 1,719 | 1,357 |
| 1900s | 334 | 159 |
| 1890s | 244 | 72 |
| 1880s | 124 | 39 |
From Greek 'basileios', meaning 'kingly, royal', derived from 'basileus' ('king'). Carried by Saint Basil the Great. The sense is the adjective 'royal/kingly' rather than the noun 'king'. (The herb shares the same root.)
From Greek Isidoros, combining the goddess name Isis + doron 'gift' — 'gift of Isis'. The 'gift' element (doron) is the same one found in Theodore and Dorothea; here the giver is the Egyptian goddess rather than God.
Basil and Isidore are given to a similar number of US babies today.
Basil means kingly, royal (greek origin), while Isidore means gift of Isis (greek origin).
In US records, Basil first appears in 0 and Isidore in 0, so Basil has the longer recorded history.