Bo - A very unique male name
Bo at a glance
Bo is ranked #443 among boy baby names in 2025, with 677 births in 2025. It peaked in 2025 at #443 and first appeared on the charts in 1959.
- Rank in 2025
- #443
- Births in 2025
- 677
- Peak year
- 2025 (#443)
- First appeared
- 1959
- Trend
- #541 in 2020 → #443 in 2025 (Rising)
- Popularity
- 1 in 2,166 boys
- Visitor rating
- 5.0/5 (10 recent votes)
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration · Data through 2025 · Updated 2026
With that position 1 in 2,166 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Bo peaked in popularity 1 years ago in 2025 on position 443.
Famous with this name
Bo Derek
Bo Bragason
Bo Svenson
How would you rate Bo, 1-5?
Bo is currently topping the charts in...
Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Bo is currently topping the baby name charts in Montana at position #176 - and is the least popular in New York at position #1,003.Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Bo is where you live.
Comment and discuss
Bo origin and meaning
Scandinavian
From Old Norse búa, 'to live, to dwell' — a traditional Scandinavian name meaning roughly 'dweller, resident'; in English use also a short form of Beau, Robert, and others
Bo has been a standalone Scandinavian name for centuries and a Southern U.S. nickname-name for decades (Bo Jackson, Bo Duke). As a formal U.S. name it reached its peak in 2025 amid the short-name trend.
Attested etymology
Bo is a 2 letter name with 1 syllables.
To see famous people named Bo, pop culture references for the name Bo and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.Similar to Bo
We've found the following names that sound similar to Bo, sorted by popularity.
Bobby / Bob / Beau / Bobbie / Baby / Bowie / Babyboy / Bee / Boy / Bao /Name statistics
Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better
understanding of how popular or unique this name is.
With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually
differ a lot from state to state.
Chart position per year (visualized)
Chart position per state (visualized)
Chart position per year (table view)
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 443 |
| 2024 | 448 |
| 2023 | 474 |
| 2022 | 496 |
| 2021 | 481 |
| 2020 | 541 |
| 2019 | 565 |
| 2018 | 576 |
| 2017 | 613 |
| 2016 | 591 |
| 2015 | 610 |
| 2014 | 629 |
| 2013 | 711 |
| 2012 | 778 |
| 2011 | 752 |
| 2010 | 824 |
| 2009 | 753 |
| 2008 | 797 |
| 2007 | 754 |
| 2006 | 794 |
| 2005 | 747 |
| 2004 | 830 |
| 2003 | 902 |
| 2002 | 961 |
| 2001 | 975 |
| 2000 | 994 |
| 1999 | 851 |
| 1998 | 860 |
| 1997 | 944 |
| 1996 | 769 |
| 1995 | 850 |
| 1994 | 748 |
| 1993 | 670 |
| 1992 | 616 |
| 1991 | 598 |
| 1990 | 607 |
| 1989 | 662 |
| 1988 | 779 |
| 1987 | 710 |
| 1986 | 713 |
| 1985 | 805 |
| 1984 | 602 |
| 1983 | 935 |
| 1982 | 765 |
| 1981 | 540 |
| 1980 | 576 |
| 1979 | 948 |
| 1978 | 1216 |
| 1977 | 1096 |
| 1976 | 1806 |
| 1975 | 1530 |
| 1974 | 1697 |
| 1973 | 1224 |
| 1972 | 1304 |
| 1971 | 1797 |
| 1969 | 1347 |
| 1968 | 1246 |
| 1967 | 1563 |
| 1963 | 1576 |
| 1961 | 1514 |
| 1960 | 1584 |
| 1959 | 1588 |
Chart position per state (table view)
| State | Rank |
|---|---|
| Montana | 176 |
| Utah | 193 |
| South Dakota | 194 |
| West Virginia | 202 |
| Tennessee | 218 |
| Oregon | 231 |
| Idaho | 259 |
| Nebraska | 269 |
| Minnesota | 277 |
| Arkansas | 286 |
| Wisconsin | 288 |
| Missouri | 292 |
| Iowa | 296 |
| Ohio | 308 |
| Alabama | 317 |
| Washington | 337 |
| Kentucky | 350 |
| Indiana | 352 |
| Oklahoma | 353 |
| Kansas | 354 |
| Colorado | 367 |
| Mississippi | 373 |
| Michigan | 376 |
| Pennsylvania | 415 |
| Georgia | 416 |
| Virginia | 529 |
| Illinois | 546 |
| Arizona | 562 |
| Texas | 569 |
| California | 608 |
| Florida | 634 |
| Massachusetts | 704 |
| New Jersey | 716 |
| Maryland | 719 |
| South Carolina | 753 |
| North Carolina | 785 |
| New York | 1003 |
Even more about Bo
These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.
Is Bo a common or unique name?
By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.What is the number of syllables for the name Bo?
1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.Pronunciation
BOH · /boʊ/
Around the world
- Bo (Swedish) — Used as-is in Swedish
- Bo (Danish) — Used as-is in Danish
Spellings and nicknames
- Beau — French-derived name with the same pronunciation
Famous bearers
- Bo Jackson — Two-sport athlete in the NFL and MLB (b. 1962) Contemporary
- Bo Burnham — Comedian and filmmaker (born Robert Burnham; Bo is his lifelong nickname from his given name) (b. 1990) Contemporary
Style
Short formNickname nameInternational
Why parents choose it
Two letters, zero fuss — parents like its laid-back, athletic brevity.
Worth knowing
- It will constantly be taken as a nickname for Beau, Robert, or Bodhi, and the Bo/Beau spelling-pronunciation match confuses paperwork.
