MEANING & HISTORY
What does Bo mean?
Bo has a Scandinavian account from Old Norse Búi, related to a verb meaning to live or dwell. English also uses Bo as a spelling variant of Beau, from the French word for handsome.
These are distinct historical explanations for the same short form. The saved given-name dictionary entry explicitly retains both. A specific bearer’s spelling alone cannot choose between the dwelling-related Scandinavian name and the French-linked familiar form.
References for this explanation
Pronunciation & syllables
A dictionary pronunciation or syllable division has not been verified for this exact spelling. Use the synthetic reading as a starting point and confirm the intended pronunciation with the family.
Origin and name formation
Language-specific accounts from the dictionary. A shared spelling can have more than one history.
EnglishEtymology & source
Either borrowed from modern Danish Bo or Swedish Bo, or a spelling variant of the male given name Beau.
A male given name of occasional usage since the 1970s.; A male given name from the Germanic languages; A male given name from French, variant of Beau; A diminutive of the male given name Beauregard; A diminutive of the male given name Beaumont
EnglishEtymology & source
Shortened from surname type given names such as Beauregard or Beaumont, or from the French word beau.
A male given name used since mid-twentieth century.
Adapted from Wiktionary contributors via Kaikki/Wiktextract. Source accounts remain in their original English; editorial summaries and filters are adapted. Attribution and downloads
People with the name Bo
Public figures and other documented namesakes linked by an explicit given-name claim. This is a selection of records, not a popularity ranking.
DOCUMENTED NAMESAKE
Bo Perasol
Filipino basketball player
DOCUMENTED NAMESAKE
Bo Sanchez
Catholic Lay Preacher, Author, Businessman, Founder of the Light of Jesus Family
The record establishes the name association, not the person’s intended meaning, pronunciation or ancestry. Descriptions are attributed to Wikidata contributors (CC0).
Use in Philippine-linked records
Wikidata
2
distinct person records with an explicit given-name claim
Community-edited coverage, not a census or birth registry. Examples: Bo Perasol, Bo Sanchez
PSA · OFFICIAL BIRTH RECORDS
Bo in the birth records
Exact spelling and stated year in the published name tables. Read the counts as individual snapshots.
Tables included: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024. The 2016 fact sheet lists five names per sex; the later tables include ten. Missing counts are not inferred. Sex categories follow the official tables, independently of dictionary gender labels. Explore the official tables →
Similar names to Bo
Names with a similar opening or ending, ordered by spelling distance. Similar spelling does not imply the same meaning or origin.
Names in this collection
- Bob♂Rhyming short form of Robert
- Boy♂Familiar name associated with Bonito or Bonifacio
- Bong♂Familiar form of Bonito or Bonifacio
- Bobby♂Affectionate form of Bob, from Robert
- Bodie·Surname-derived name; also a variant of Bodhi
- Bobbie·Bright fame; familiar Robert or Roberta form
- Bonbon♂Repeated familiar form from Bon and several recorded names
- Bonito♂Pretty, handsome, or pleasing
What rhymes with Bo?
No dictionary-confirmed rhyme match is available for this spelling in the current catalogue.
Explore Bo further
Follow the sources
- Wikidata given-name item Q1234223 — Bo (opens in a new tab)
Given-name identity, native labels, language associations and explicit class where present; not lexical meaning or population frequency.
- Wikidata — Bo Perasol (opens in a new tab)
Explicit given-name claim P735 linking to Q1234223 and citizenship claim P27 linking to Philippines Q928; community-edited evidence, not a civil-registry record.
- Wikidata — Bo Sanchez (opens in a new tab)
Explicit given-name claim P735 linking to Q1234223 and citizenship claim P27 linking to Philippines Q928; community-edited evidence, not a civil-registry record.
- Wiktionary contributors — Bo (English) (opens in a new tab)
Language-specific given-name etymology; shared spelling does not prove every bearer has this origin.
- Wiktionary contributors — Bo (English) (opens in a new tab)
Language-specific given-name etymology; shared spelling does not prove every bearer has this origin.
- Behind the Name — Bo (opens in a new tab)
Consulted account of the name’s formation, relevant root elements, or explicitly linked base name.
- Behind the Name — Beau (opens in a new tab)
Consulted account of the name’s formation, relevant root elements, or explicitly linked base name.