Where the Basile surname comes from
Basile comes from the Greek name Basíleios, Basilio in Italian, Basil in English: “royal,” “worthy of a king.” In Greek, basiléus was the title of the emperors of Byzantium. Basile is the form the name took in the mouths of ordinary people, later passed on to the children of a Basilio.
The name was made famous by a saint, Basil the Great, father of the monks of the East. When the South still spoke Greek, his monasteries were everywhere in Calabria, Sicily and Apulia. The PDF tells what ties the surname to a herb you have in your kitchen.
A family of fairy tales and music
In 17th-century Naples, a Basile brother and sister were famous. He wrote a collection of fairy tales that came before Perrault and the Grimms. She had a voice that a cardinal called unique in the world. Two centuries later, in Palermo, a Basile father and son put their names to a building that still has no equal in Italy. Their stories are in the PDF.
Where the Basiles live today
Basile is a surname of a South that was once Greek. There are about 9,400 families in Italy, concentrated in Sicily, Apulia and Campania. In the province of Taranto it is the third most common surname overall. The town where it ranks number one is in Calabria: Casabona, in the province of Crotone. Many Basiles live overseas today. The region-by-region map and the countries around the world they reached are in the PDF.
Variants
The same kingly name took different forms in Central and Southern Italy. The PDF explains where each one comes from.
| Surname | Where it is concentrated |
|---|---|
| Basile | Sicily, Apulia, Campania |
| Basili | Lazio, Marche, Umbria |
| Basilio | Lombardy, Lazio, Abruzzo, Sicily |
| Basilone | Campania |
| Di Basilio | Abruzzo, Lazio |
FAQ
What does the surname Basile mean?
It comes from the Greek name Basíleios, Basil, which means “royal,” “kingly.” It was a personal name, later passed on to the children and turned into a family name.
Is Basile a Sicilian or an Apulian surname?
Both, and Campanian too. Sicily, Apulia and Campania are the regions where it is most common; in the province of Taranto it is the third most common surname. The town where it ranks first, though, is in Calabria: Casabona.
Are Basile and Basilio the same surname?
They share the same origin. Basilio is the full name, kept just as it was; Basile is the everyday form. Basili, Di Basilio and Basilone belong to the same family too.
Are all Basiles related?
No. The surname was born in many different places, among the children of men named Basilio who were not related. To trace your own story you need birth records and parish registers.
Is the Basile surname noble?
The surname itself is not a sign of nobility, even though it means “royal.” Some Basile families held titles, like the counts of Torone in Naples, but most Basiles come from ordinary families.
Is there a Basile family coat of arms?
Some Basile families had a coat of arms, but it belonged to that one branch. The archives record several, and they look nothing alike. There is no coat of arms that belongs to all Basiles.
