Bo
Unisex · BOH · Old Norse
Unisex
Bo is a name of Old Norse origin, meaning “to live, dwell”. In 2025 it ranked 2,087th for boys in the UK (12 babies) and 449th for boys in the US (698 babies).
What does Bo mean?
Old Norse: Scandinavian name; also used as a spelling of Beau
“to live, dwell”
- Say it
- BOH
More on Wiktionary.
Is Bo a girl's or a boy's name?
In recent years, Bo has been given to both girls and boys. In 2025, it was given to 5 girls and 12 boys in the UK and 30 girls and 698 boys in the US.
How popular is Bo in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #2,087among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 12about 1 in 25,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 22% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 12 boys in the UK were named Bo, making it the 2,087th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,512th. Its busiest year was 2021, with 25 boys. 5 girls were also named Bo in 2025 (4,276th for girls).
Half of all the boys named Bo in the UK since 1996 were born between 2010 and 2021, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 546 boys in the UK were given Bo or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #117, up from #2,087 for this spelling alone.
In 2001, 83% of the babies named Bo in the UK were girls. By 2025 it was 29%, with more boys than girls since 2021.
Among boys in 2025, it was 2,011th in England and Wales.
Bo in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 12 | #2,087 |
| 2024 | 10 | #2,328 |
| 2023 | 14 | #1,812 |
| 2022 | 16 | #1,639 |
| 2021 | 25 | #1,200 |
| 2020 | 17 | #1,512 |
| 2019 | 13 | #1,858 |
| 2018 | 16 | #1,638 |
| 2017 | 18 | #1,490 |
| 2016 | 15 | #1,723 |
| 2015 | 14 | #1,779 |
| 2014 | 16 | #1,573 |
| 2013 | 7 | #2,792 |
| 2012 | 13 | #1,850 |
| 2011 | 16 | #1,542 |
| 2010 | 21 | #1,288 |
| 2009 | 11 | #1,959 |
| 2008 | 12 | #1,810 |
| 2007 | 6 | #2,873 |
| 2006 | 11 | #1,742 |
| 2005 | 4 | #3,330 |
| 2004 | 5 | #2,691 |
| 2003 | 0 | – |
| 2002 | 5 | #2,358 |
| 2001 | 4 | #2,714 |
| 2000 | 0 | – |
| 1999 | 0 | – |
| 1998 | 1 | #3,884 |
| 1997 | 4 | #2,438 |
How popular is Bo in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #449among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 698about 1 in 2,400 boys
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 35% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 698 boys in the US were named Bo, making it the 449th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 540th. It first appears in the records in 1907. 30 girls were also named Bo in 2025 (4,545th for girls).
It has been given to more boys each year for the last 3 years. 2025 had the most boys named Bo of any year since it first appeared, in 1907.
Half of all the boys named Bo in the US since 1880 were born between 1992 and 2020, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 6,153 boys in the US were given Bo or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #51, up from #449 for this spelling alone.
Bo in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 698 | #449 |
| 2024 | 692 | #452 |
| 2023 | 633 | #478 |
| 2022 | 614 | #497 |
| 2021 | 622 | #480 |
| 2020 | 525 | #540 |
| 2019 | 493 | #566 |
| 2018 | 483 | #572 |
| 2017 | 432 | #610 |
| 2016 | 453 | #595 |
| 2015 | 434 | #618 |
| 2014 | 414 | #633 |
| 2013 | 318 | #733 |
| 2012 | 290 | #782 |
| 2011 | 293 | #764 |
| 2010 | 256 | #834 |
| 2009 | 289 | #784 |
| 2008 | 262 | #834 |
| 2007 | 286 | #767 |
| 2006 | 268 | #775 |
| 2005 | 259 | #764 |
| 2004 | 204 | #861 |
| 2003 | 183 | #908 |
| 2002 | 159 | #987 |
| 2001 | 160 | #957 |
| 2000 | 152 | #975 |
| 1999 | 185 | #824 |
| 1998 | 176 | #832 |
| 1997 | 153 | #898 |
| 1996 | 191 | #767 |
| 1995 | 173 | #810 |
| 1994 | 193 | #755 |
| 1993 | 229 | #676 |
| 1992 | 276 | #619 |
| 1991 | 282 | #603 |
| 1990 | 277 | #601 |
| 1989 | 215 | #677 |
| 1988 | 172 | #713 |
| 1987 | 186 | #671 |
| 1986 | 174 | #684 |
| 1985 | 153 | #715 |
| 1984 | 201 | #599 |
| 1983 | 138 | #735 |
| 1982 | 160 | #683 |
| 1981 | 237 | #550 |
| 1980 | 232 | #568 |
| 1979 | 101 | #864 |
| 1978 | 73 | #1,011 |
| 1977 | 77 | #975 |
| 1976 | 59 | #1,100 |
| 1975 | 51 | #1,181 |
| 1974 | 45 | #1,244 |
| 1973 | 50 | #1,163 |
| 1972 | 49 | #1,163 |
| 1971 | 36 | #1,415 |
| 1970 | 25 | #1,742 |
| 1969 | 29 | #1,492 |
| 1968 | 25 | #1,573 |
| 1967 | 22 | #1,651 |
| 1966 | 27 | #1,483 |
| 1965 | 18 | #1,855 |
| 1964 | 23 | #1,654 |
| 1963 | 32 | #1,374 |
| 1962 | 26 | #1,545 |
| 1961 | 29 | #1,495 |
| 1960 | 27 | #1,551 |
| 1959 | 24 | #1,619 |
| 1958 | 21 | #1,723 |
| 1957 | 12 | #2,374 |
| 1956 | 12 | #2,359 |
| 1955 | 10 | #2,557 |
| 1954 | 14 | #2,113 |
| 1953 | 15 | #2,037 |
| 1952 | 13 | #2,152 |
| 1951 | 10 | #2,493 |
| 1950 | 9 | #2,579 |
| 1949 | 14 | #2,021 |
| 1948 | 10 | #2,442 |
| 1947 | 8 | #2,861 |
| 1946 | 0 | – |
| 1945 | 6 | #2,995 |
| 1944 | 8 | #2,632 |
| 1943 | 0 | – |
| 1942 | 0 | – |
| 1941 | 0 | – |
| 1940 | 5 | #3,458 |
| 1939 | 0 | – |
| 1938 | 0 | – |
| 1937 | 0 | – |
| 1936 | 5 | #3,548 |
| 1935 | 5 | #3,644 |
| 1934 | 0 | – |
| 1933 | 0 | – |
| 1932 | 6 | #3,360 |
| 1931 | 0 | – |
| 1930 | 8 | #3,020 |
| 1929 | 0 | – |
| 1928 | 0 | – |
| 1927 | 9 | #2,911 |
| 1926 | 0 | – |
| 1925 | 9 | #2,934 |
| 1924 | 0 | – |
| 1923 | 5 | #4,236 |
| 1922 | 5 | #4,305 |
| 1921 | 6 | #3,867 |
| 1920 | 8 | #3,207 |
| 1919 | 6 | #3,735 |
| 1918 | 7 | #3,367 |
| 1917 | 0 | – |
| 1916 | 10 | #2,542 |
| 1915 | 0 | – |
| 1914 | 0 | – |
| 1913 | 0 | – |
| 1912 | 0 | – |
| 1911 | 0 | – |
| 1910 | 0 | – |
| 1909 | 0 | – |
| 1908 | 0 | – |
| 1907 | 5 | #1,344 |
Names like Bo
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Enzo Blake Jude Leonardo Nico Hugo Rafe Lucas Arlo Myles Ali Lorenzo
Other spellings of Bo
More Old Norse names
Freya Ronnie Ralph Eric Astrid Colby Odin Ralphie Erik Freyja Erick Ronald Bjorn Erica Raife Ivar