Note: [name_f]British[/name_f] pronunciation - Bah-zihl not Bay-zihl
The Pros:
It’s an unusual but not unheard of boys name (the sweet spot, especially boy names)
It’s got a clear pronunciation and spelling (I know internationally that’s less true, but in the UK I can be pretty sure how people will say and spell his name)
It’s DH’s favourite by a long shot
I like the sound
I like the herb
DH’s grandmother (who lived to 100 years old, but passed a few days ago) went her whole life as ‘Ba’ (prn ‘Bae’ from her being called [name_u]Baby[/name_u] as a young child). While not pronounced the same, the Ba in [name_u]Basil[/name_u] is already sort of a nod, but also with our surname which starts with a strong ‘ay’ sound it also becomes B. Ay[…] which I like, even if it’s a tenuous link.
It makes a nice sibset with our girl name choice: [name_f]Alice[/name_f].
The Cons:
It has two large cultural touchstones in the UK, neither of which I particularly like and I think it will get tedious if people keep referencing them to us when it’s absolutely not why we’d be using the name.
It’s not got very many nickname options, and I am a habitual nicknamer (DH likes names that cannot be nicknamed, so this is a pro as far as he’s concerned).
Basically, I’m wondering if I actually do like the name but I’m just worried that I’m going to get annoyed by other people’s reactions/assumptions. And I need to figure out how much other people’s responses will bother me and if I’m alright with letting myself make/not make decisions based on them. (I would love to use foxes on clothes and one of the cultural touch stones is a children’s show fox puppet with an annoying catchphrase. Maybe I just go ‘sod it’ and do what I want even though people will make the link, because I know that’s not why we chose the name and I love foxes?)
Middle names would probably be family names:
[name_u]Basil[/name_u] [name_u]George[/name_u] (George was the family surname of Grandma [name_f]Bae[/name_f] before she married)
[name_u]Basil[/name_u] [name_u]William[/name_u] (honours on both sides)
[name_u]Basil[/name_u] [name_u]Arthur[/name_u] (honours on both sides - would make the initials BAA like a sheep though, could be cute as a motif but also could be A Bit Much)
[name_u]Basil[/name_u] Edward/Edmund
[name_u]Basil[/name_u] [name_m]Eamon[/name_m]
I’m finding myself drawn to [name_f]Alice[/name_f] [name_f]Naomi[/name_f] and [name_u]Basil[/name_u] [name_u]George[/name_u] (or other mn), feel free to give me that final push!
I love [name_u]Basil[/name_u]! The long history of use + the nature connection makes it seem both established and fashionable. I do think it’s notable that the number of “pros” on your list far outnumbers the “cons”.
I wouldn’t worry too much about the nickname issue. I find habitual nicknamers are often able to generate nicknames, even when there aren’t many for the name itself!
I’m not in the UK, so I can’t comment on the cultural touchstones (though I think I know of one of them). It seems a shame to cross it off the list for the occasional comment from strangers. I think a simple “we just liked the name, it has a family connection, etc.” will shut down those conversations pretty quick. To those who know him well, your [name_u]Basil[/name_u] will become the primary association with the name!
[name_f]Alice[/name_f] [name_f]Naomi[/name_f] and [name_u]Basil[/name_u] [name_u]George[/name_u] (or any of your mn options) are so perfect together!
Oh, I love Basil!! It’s such a sweet, soft, aromatic boy name and I love the herb association, but the meaning (valiant, kingly, brave,) gives it a hidden strength. It feels both internationally exotic and clunky cute vintage. It think it is totally established as a name. [name_f]Every[/name_f] name has the possibility to be turned into something annoying or bad, and [name_u]Basil[/name_u] doesn’t stand out as being any worse off in this respect. If you love the name, go for it!
As for nicknames, the only one I can think of is [name_m]Baz[/name_m] ( I knew a boy named [name_m]Baz[/name_m] and thought it was kinda cute.)
[name_f]Alice[/name_f] and [name_u]Basil[/name_u] work so well together, both stylistically and sound wise, as the Ss tie them together.
[name_f]My[/name_f] favourite of your combos is [name_u]Basil[/name_u] [name_u]George[/name_u] because it flows so well and it so handsome, as well as being an honour name.
Go for it! If you like it, and it works for you, then (and as you rightly said) sod everyone else. It’s your child at the end of the day!
I’m in the UK and yes I did think as [name_u]Basil[/name_u] Fawlty as the first reference but I had to rack my brains to think of the other. Then I read the part about foxes and made the connection. However, I only made the connections when you mentioned being worried about them. The name alone does not immediately make me think of them (if that makes sense).
This might have to do with my age. I was of the early 2000’s [name_u]Basil[/name_u] Brush revival era not the original 60s version and I only know about Fawlty [name_m]Towers[/name_m] because it’s a bit of an institution. Neither of the shows though are regularly repeated on television and so todays parents (which is where the references and comments will be instigated) will be less likely to say something I would imagine. Far less likely than my parents who around when both shows were first aired.
[name_f]Hope[/name_f] this has helped
PS: I’d go for [name_u]Basil[/name_u] [name_u]William[/name_u]!
When I hear the name [name_u]Basil[/name_u], I think of these things:
[name_u]Basil[/name_u] Hallward of [name_u]Dorian[/name_u] [name_u]Gray[/name_u]
One of my guinea pigs (his name was [name_u]Basil[/name_u]
The herb
‘Clunky, old fashioned name’
[name_u]Basil[/name_u] Brush
Would I assume a baby called [name_u]Basil[/name_u] with a cute fox on his shirt was named after/for any reason associated to [name_u]Basil[/name_u] Brush? No. Would I mention the show? No. I just feel - sure, it’s a cultural touch point, but if I met a baby [name_u]Basil[/name_u], I would rather assume the parents were going for the ‘grandpa name’ thing, the unique, earthy/nature-y vibe, or that it was a family name.
[name_u]Basil[/name_u] is cute and clunky, with a hint of the refined and unexpected.Basil [name_u]George[/name_u] is very charming!!
I’ll throw in that [name_u]Basil[/name_u] ‘Billy’ would be cute! [name_u]Basil[/name_u] [name_u]William[/name_u] would make that work too?
[name_u]Basil[/name_u]
Here is my piggie [name_u]Basil[/name_u]! It suited him well and I would love to meet a young [name_u]Basil[/name_u]!
I greatly appreciate you showing me your [name_u]Basil[/name_u], that has absolutely endeared me more towards the name! He looks like he was very soft.
[name_u]Basil[/name_u] is great. I would love to meet one. I also think it would be nice being named [name_u]Basil[/name_u] because it’s distinctive and simple at the same time. Few names are like that.
I wouldn’t put too much weight on the cultural references. If only some people make the associations, and only a portion of those people make a comment, that’s quite a small number of people. If it does come up, it would at least be quickly forgotten.
I mean, it’s one thing to have an existing association to the name. It’s another thing entirely to see it on a baby or child and assume it has anything to do with your naming decision and then go blurting that out. I think it’s more likely you would hear comments about how surprising it is to hear on a baby and compliments on how nice it is. Another thing to keep in mind is that these associations will only lessen over time.
You could get ahead of comments in the newborn phase if you wish to by sharing his name story upfront. You could prepare a no-nonsense response to repeat any time it comes up after that, if that makes it feel potentially less annoying. But I really think it’ll come up less than you’re expecting it to.
The lack of intuitive nicknames is already a positive for your husband, but if you found some hidden nicknames that only you used then it could be a win for both of you. For instance, [name_m]Buzz[/name_m], [name_f]Sibby[/name_f], [name_f]Zibby[/name_f], [name_f]Zizi[/name_f], [name_u]Zaza[/name_u] and [name_u]Aza[/name_u]. There always terms of endearment like Sprout, [name_m]Buddy[/name_m] etc. that you could be creative with too.
I also think it’s okay if your girl name choice and boy name choice are not exactly even in the feelings department. Sometimes that’s how it goes. It could be that your styles overlap better with girl names, you get more excited with girl names or you were just lucky. In any case, [name_u]Basil[/name_u] is a lovely option. I wish you all the best in your search.
