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Name Biscuit

Unisex name

Basil

Basil ranks #192 out of 11,202 cat names in our data (the #1 cat name is Luna). Across all 4 places, 24 cats carry the name. It's also a dog name: #321 for dogs.
Basil's popularity trend

Basil's share of cats, year by year — or toggle to its yearly rank. Peak year by share: 2015.

0.025%0.05%0.075%0.1%20122014201620182019
Cats in our data
24
across 4 places
Popularity rank
#192
of 11,202 cat names
5-year rank move
−204
2014 → 2019
Gender split
63% male
37% female63% male

Gender split comes from 62 US shelter cats — the one source in our data that records a cat's sex.

What does Basil mean?
/ˈbæz.əl/2 syllablesOrigin: Ancient Greek

Basil comes from the Ancient Greek "basileios," meaning royal or kingly. The culinary herb of the same name is thought to take its title from the same root, prized enough in the ancient world to be called the "royal herb."

Basil has a warm, herbal charm, a little old-fashioned and a little witty. It suits a pet with a distinguished air, the kind who carries themselves like they're above the fray.

Etymology & pronunciation from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Where Basil shows up

Cats named Basil per place, against that place's total.

PlaceShare
SeattleWA, US0.10%
TorontoON, CA0.04%
Surf Coast ShireVIC, AU0.25%
DarwinNT, AU0.13%

Cat names like Basil

Basil appears on