Basilio

Royal; kingly.

Basilio means “royal” or “kingly” and comes from the Greek name Basileios. The underlying word is basileus, “king”. Used as a masculine name in Spanish and Italian, it belongs to the same name family as English Basil and French Basile. Its Christian associations include Saint Basil the Great, a fourth-century bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia. In Spanish, Basilio is pronounced bah-SEE-lyoh, with the stress on the middle syllable and a clear s sound. The soft sweep of -lio gives the name a graceful finish, balancing the formality of its royal meaning. There is a livelier literary association too: in Don Quixote, Basilio is the young man who uses a trick to marry Quiteria during the wedding festivities planned for her and the wealthy Camacho.

Etymology: From the Greek name Basileios, based on basileios, “royal”, an adjective formed from basileus, “king”. Basilio is the Spanish and Italian form.