Vasiljević

Vasiljević (Serbian Cyrillic: Васиљевић) is a Serbian surname of Ancient Greek origins deriving from the word "Basileios" meaning "Royal", and originally only given to children of royal or noble birth. In the 4th century A. D., the name was born by Saint Basillos, the bishop of Caesarea, and long regarded as one of the four fathers of the Eastern (Christian) Church. It is said that, in some cases, the name derives from the female form of the name, and specifically from Saint Basilla, who, in the year 304 A. D., chose death rather than marry a Pagan. Up to the 11th century, the name was a personal name, was usually born by clerics. However, after the Crusades, it became popular for returning soldiers to christen their children with Hebrew or biblical names, and thereby to commemorate the fathers deeds in the Holy Land.[1]