| Basil | Perseus | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | kingly, royal | Of debated meaning |
| Origin | greek | Greek |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | BAZ-il | PUR-see-us |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 0 | 1983 |
| Peak year | 1924 (281) | 2025 (168) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 168 |
| Trend | Vintage | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Basil | Perseus |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 444 | 813 |
| 2010s | 548 | 561 |
| 2000s | 537 | 5 |
| 1990s | 661 | 0 |
| 1980s | 572 | 11 |
| 1970s | 577 | 0 |
| 1960s | 873 | 0 |
| 1950s | 1,090 | 0 |
| 1940s | 1,293 | 0 |
| 1930s | 1,705 | 0 |
| 1920s | 2,451 | 0 |
| 1910s | 1,719 | 0 |
| 1900s | 334 | 0 |
| 1890s | 244 | 0 |
| 1880s | 124 | 0 |
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.)
Perseus is the Greek hero who slew Medusa; his name is often linked to “to destroy.”
Perseus is more popular than Basil today: about 168 US babies were given the name Perseus in 2025, compared with 0 named Basil.
Basil means kingly, royal (greek origin), while Perseus means Of debated meaning (Greek origin).
In US records, Basil first appears in 0 and Perseus in 1983, so Basil has the longer recorded history.