Basil

[MeyMary]

What do you think of the name Basil?

Tia :)

I just don’t know what else to do.

It’s a cats name!

A cat?

I’m quite old so think Basil Fawlty, but no one younger will. Or basil brush, both were around in the 70s .

The Americans say Bay-zul.

If you like it go for it op, mumsnetters love to find fault and predict failure.

I like it! I know a Basil in his 50s with an Italian surname and he's a very cool guy.

I love it.
Sweet when they are little and cool when older.

it's that awful that's adorable IYSWIM
Can you imagine a baby Basil. How cute
If you really like it. I'd go for it.

Boom! Boom!

Immediate thoughts are Fawlty or Brush.

Also back in my Catholic upbringing days, when we did our confirmation we had to pick a confirmation name and the boys all picked piss taking names for theirs like Aloysius, Ignatius and....Basil.

It's probably a no from me.

I like it.

But I think it would be shortened to Baz by his friends as a teenager. And then people my presume his name is Barry. I don't like the name Barry, but it's probably due a revival.

AFAIK the American pronunciation of the name Basil is the same as the British one. It’s only the herb which is pronounced differently.

I love the name Basil very quirky...

I like it, but in certain parts of the UK (eg, where I'm from) they'd pronounce it Basuww. I couldn't do it for that reason but I like it elsewhere!

It's great.

Nope sorry

AFAIK the American pronunciation of the name Basil is the same as the British one. It’s only the herb which is pronounced differently.

Interesting. Or even better, I suppose :) I imagine that some Americans might still go for the herb pronunciation? (But as I said, I personally wouldn't mind...)

I like it! I know a Basil in his 50s with an Italian surname and he's a very cool guy

We were thinking about a hyphenated surname (which should work if we say we're following British naming conventions/regulations?), the LO would have an Italian surname and a Mac-surname in that case...

I imagine every time someone calls his name they would feel obliged to mimic Sybil . Even though I wouldn’t, just to be polite, it would certainly be happening in my head. So that’s a no from me.

I'm not American but Im Sure I've heard Ina Garten pronounce it Bay-zul as opposed to Bazz-ul (the UK way)

Not keen on it as a name, OP. What are your other options?

Yes, I immediately hear it in Prunella Scales' voice. Basil is the name of an "ageing, brilliantined stick-insect" to me!

Absolutely awful.

Fawlty and brush sprang to mind with Cybil calling “ Basillll”

Basil the Great Mouse Detective...

Fawlty.
But younger generations may not make the connection.

Also, cooking!

Not keen on it as a name, OP. What are your other options?

• Louis (but it's just so popular in German)
• Sebastian
• Anton (but I'm not too fond of the English pronunciation. DH likes Anthony but I don't want a "purely Anglo" name...)
• Matteo (it just feels a bit insubstantial...)
• Severin (there's the issue of severing)
• David (there's unfortunately a history for me personally with that name...)
• Adrian
• Marco (but I feel like Marco sounds a bit weird with an English pronunciation? Idk...)
• Leonardo

I also like Gabriel and Florian but DH doesn't like these at all.

I really like it. I know a 5 year old Basil and hes adorable and a bit quirky. His name suits him

I love love love Sebastian

Excellent cat name, terrible for a human sorry.
I love Sebastian from your list, also LOVE Florian (swoon)! Used to think Adrian was an old man name but met a couple in their 20s lately and now I like it.

Severin sounds like a type of dessert! Does it have to be something that sounds equally good in German and English? How about Thomas, Michael, Hans?