Wassili

Wassili is a male first name and represents the Russian form of the Latin name Basilius. This, in turn, has its roots in the Greek names Basileus (Βασιλευς) and Basileios (Βασιλειος).

What does the name Wassili mean?

The name Wassili refers to a male first name that is considered the Russian variant of Basilius. Its origins lie in the Greek names Basileus (Βασιλευς) and Basileios (Βασιλειος). The meaning of the name is 'the Royal' as well as 'the King'. The roots can be traced back to Ancient Greek, derived from the term basileús (βᾰσῐλεύς), which encompasses 'the King', 'the Chief', 'the Master', 'the Lord', and 'the Patron', or from the word basíleios (βασίλειος), which means 'royal'. In Russian, the 'B' is transformed into a 'W'. The Russian spelling also made its way into German naming conventions in the 19th century. In the Middle Ages, the name became popular due to the veneration of Saint Basil, the Archbishop of Caesarea. Alternative forms include Basilius, Basil, Basile, Basilic, Basilides, Basilus, Basiel, Bazil, Bazyli, and Basileo, as well as other variants like Vasileios, Vasili, Vassileios, and Vassili. Forms such as Wasili, Wasilij, Wasilios, Wasja, Wassil, Wassilij, and Wassily are also common. Female variants include Basilea, Basilia, Basilissa, Basilisa, and Vasilia. Over the centuries, many Russian nobles and princes bore this name.

Where does the name Wassili come from?

The etymology of Wassili is Ancient Greek and means 'the Royal'. The Ancient Greek

How do you pronounce Wassili?

Wassili is pronounced like 'Wassili', with emphasis on the first syllable.

When is the name day of Wassili?

Wassili's name day is celebrated on January 2.

Popularity

In Germany, Wassili is a rather rare first name. In 2023, it ranked 5,488th in the list of the most common male first names. Its best placement was in 2012 when it reached 3,479th place. In the last ten years, the name has been given less than 10 times, resulting in a 7,203rd place in the ten-year statistics. Between 2010 and 2024, it ranks 6,325th.

Nicknames & pet names

Vasi / Wasi / Wasil / Wasja / Wassi / Wassilissa / Wasök

Similar first names

Famous people

• Wassili Alexandrowitsch Kudinow (Russian handball player)
• Wassili Alexandrowitsch Schischow (Russian boxer)
• Wassili Alexejewitsch Paschkewitsch (composer from Russia)
• Wassili Alexejewitsch Perwuchin (ice hockey player from Russia)
• Wassili Anatoljewitsch Solomin (Russian boxer)
• Wassili Borissowitsch Liwanow (actor from Russia)
• Wassili Eduardowitsch Petrenko (Russian conductor)
• Wassili Fjodorowitsch Nassedkin (Russian writer)
• Wassili Grigorjewitsch Saizew (famous Soviet sniper (featured in 'Enemy at the Gates'))
• Wassili Iwanowitsch Below (French writer)
• Wassili Iwanowitsch Schdanow (Russian cyclist)
• Wassili Jan (Russian writer)
• Wassili Kandinsky (Russian painter & graphic artist)
• Wassili Lepanto (artist from Greece)
• Wassili Nikolajewitsch Panow (Russian chess player)
• Wassili Pawlowitsch Chatunzew (Russian cyclist)
• Wassili Pawlowitsch Solowjow-Sedoi (Russian composer)
• Wassili Pawlowitsch Subow (Russian philosopher)
• Wassili Wassiljewitsch Ziblijew (astronaut from England)
• Wassili Wiktorowitsch Filippow (Russian handball player)