Etymology Explorer › Russian

Where does “Василий” come from?

Василий (Russian) comes from Ancient Greek βασίλειος, from Ancient Greek βασιλεύς, from Proto-Hellenic gʷatiléus — chief; king.

Ancestry of “Василий”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Ancient Greekβασίλειοςof the king, kingly, royal
2Ancient Greekβασιλεύςchief, master; king, lord, patron
3Proto-Hellenicgʷatiléuschief; king

Words derived from “Василий”

  • Vasily
  • Vassili
  • Վասիլի
Every word from Proto-Hellenic gʷatiléus →