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Bo as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Bo

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The baby name Bo is a Unisex name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced English: /boʊ/ (rhymes with 'go'),Scandinavian: /buː/ or /boː/,Mandarin (pinyin 'Bo'): [pwo] with tone depending on character.

Bo is Chinese, English, French, Hebrew, Norse in Origin.

Gender: Unisex
Syllables: 1.0
Origin: Chinese, English, French, Hebrew, Norse
Pronunciation: English: /boʊ/ (rhymes with 'go'),Scandinavian: /buː/ or /boː/,Mandarin (pinyin 'Bo'): [pwo] with tone depending on character

What is the meaning of the name Bo ?

The baby name Bo is a Unisex name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced English: /boʊ/ (rhymes with 'go'),Scandinavian: /buː/ or /boː/,Mandarin (pinyin 'Bo'): [pwo] with tone depending on character.

Bo is Chinese, English, French, Hebrew, Norse in Origin.

The compact, cross-cultural name Bo has several roots. In Scandinavia it derives from Old Norse Búi, meaning “resident” or “farmer,” found in medieval records in Sweden and Denmark and revived as a steady favorite in the 20th century. In the English-speaking world Bo also functions as a clipped or phonetic form of the French Beau (“handsome”), and as a familiar nickname for longer names beginning with Bo-, including Beauregard and Slavic choices like Boris or Bojan.

In Chinese, Bo is the pinyin rendering of numerous characters whose meanings vary - common choices include 博 (“broad, learned”) and 波 (“wave”). Usage is unisex in English, Dutch, and Chinese contexts, while predominantly masculine in Scandinavia. Notable bearers such as Bo Jackson, Bo Diddley, and Bo Derek have kept the name visible. Related forms and spellings include Beau and Boe; Bo pairs easily as a modern, minimalist given name.

Bo has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Bo

Boethius Politician · Born 480 · Ostrogothic Kingdom Boethius was a philosopher and politician in the Ostrogothic Kingdom, best known for his influential work 'The Consolation of Philosophy'. Born in 480, he served as a high-ranking official under King Theodoric the Great before being imprisoned and executed. Park Bo-gum Actor|musician · Born 1990 · South Korea Park Bo-gum is best known as a South Korean actor, with standout roles in Reply 1988, Love in the Moonlight, and Record of Youth. He is also a singer, and he became the youngest actor to be named Gallup Korea's Television Actor of the Year twice. Bo Xilai Politician · Born 1949 · People's Republic of China Bo Xilai is best known as a former Chinese politician who rose to national prominence before being convicted on bribery and embezzlement charges. He became widely known through his time as Mayor of Dalian and later as Governor of Liaoning.
Bo Burnham Actor|musician · Born 1990 · United States Bo Burnham is an American comedian, musician, and filmmaker known for his unique blend of comedy and music. He gained fame with his YouTube videos and comedy specials like 'what.' and 'Make Happy'. In 2021, he wrote and directed the critically acclaimed special 'Inside'. Park Bo-young Actor · Born 1990 · South Korea Park Bo-young is a South Korean actress best known for her leading roles in Scandal Makers, A Werewolf Boy, and the hit drama Strong Girl Bong-soon. She has also starred in popular series like Oh My Ghost, Daily Dose of Sunshine, and Our Unwritten Seoul. Bo Widerberg Actor · Born 1930 · Sweden Bo Widerberg was a Swedish filmmaker and actor, best known for his impactful films like 'Elvira Madigan' and 'Ådalen 31'. He was born in 1930 and became a significant figure in Swedish cinema, contributing both as a director and an actor.

Bo – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Germany Boys 2025 #1 — 423
Ireland Boys 2023 #1 — 807
Ireland Girls 2018 #1 — 934
KH 0 #3 1 102
KH Boys 0 #8 2 270
KR Boys 0 #27 1 897
BN 0 #31 2 2,297
MV Girls 0 #35 1 2,021
MT 0 #43 1 1,767
MO 0 #50 3 2,706
DK Boys 0 #51 1,047 7,401
CN 0 #60 26 3,857
LU 0 #66 1 2,830
JP 0 #75 3 4,057
AF 0 #76 1 1,883
AL 0 #76 1 2,372
DK 0 #77 178 5,198
MV Boys 0 #79 1 3,375
SI 0 #79 2 1,612
BG 0 #81 2 1,799
CN Boys 0 #82 383 9,639
KW 0 #82 35 5,216
RS 0 #84 1 923
QA 0 #87 14 7,011
Sweden Boys 2022 #88 106 1,509
Norway Boys 2025 #93 45 444
TW 0 #98 6 4,523
PH 0 #108 3 5,607
GE Boys 0 #109 2 2,055
BW Girls 0 #115 34 4,216
OM 0 #120 2 6,215
BN Boys 0 #124 10 6,332
EE Boys 0 #125 1 2,087
BW Boys 0 #127 23 4,685
IQ 0 #127 7 3,533
CY Boys 0 #130 2 3,473
Switzerland Boys 2024 #131 7 1,769
Switzerland Girls 2024 #133 3 1,786
ID Boys 0 #135 1 4,130
RS Girls 0 #136 2 1,651
LT Boys 0 #151 1 2,166
MT Girls 0 #152 2 3,773
RS Boys 0 #153 2 2,277
AE 0 #155 23 10,220
EG Boys 0 #158 4,005 15,035
CR 0 #163 3 5,526
Belgium Girls 2024 #166 20 424
HU Boys 0 #169 6 3,954
SI Girls 0 #176 2 2,769
MT Boys 0 #177 3 4,064
HR 0 #180 2 2,081
Sweden Girls 2021 #182 2 1,666
MO Boys 0 #182 42 5,842
CZ 0 #186 1 3,154
LU Girls 0 #189 2 4,850
RU 0 #194 1 3,641
Belgium Boys 2008 #196 37 402
PL 0 #208 5 2,600
SI Boys 0 #209 3 3,402
LU Boys 0 #213 8 4,970
MO Girls 0 #214 38 7,056
TW Boys 0 #214 28 7,111
BG Boys 0 #215 6 3,850
AO Girls 0 #217 1 4,575
AL Girls 0 #220 8 4,141
BG Girls 0 #225 7 3,559
Canada Boys 2024 #226 82 2,588
KW Boys 0 #230 847 18,755
IR 0 #231 1 4,221
NA Girls 0 #235 3 7,146
BD 0 #238 4 5,992
NL Girls 0 #244 1,555 5,933
AO Boys 0 #245 5 5,568
GH 0 #247 2 5,396
HR Boys 0 #248 11 3,997
JP Girls 0 #248 4 6,592
NA Boys 0 #248 6 6,830
GR Girls 0 #249 1 6,293
SG 0 #250 20 11,010
NL 0 #256 141 2,481
Finland Boys 2026 #266 1,054 3,552
TW Girls 0 #266 11 8,139
NG 0 #270 3 5,926
SA 0 #271 25 10,560
GR Boys 0 #272 2 6,912
AF Boys 0 #273 2 3,535
EG 0 #275 140 6,387
Canada Girls 2020 #277 7 2,919
JP Boys 0 #287 11 7,909
HR Girls 0 #288 7 3,687
KZ Boys 0 #288 9 6,578
AL Boys 0 #289 10 5,122
CN Girls 0 #289 61 8,829
HK 0 #290 59 8,483
BH 0 #292 283 17,937
EG Girls 0 #292 1,531 14,742
JM Boys 0 #292 2 6,876
HK Boys 0 #294 295 12,905
Finland 0 #298 10 830
PL Boys 0 #301 35 6,459
CZ Boys 0 #302 4 6,530
QA Girls 0 #305 12 15,378
PL Girls 0 #313 42 5,096
MY 0 #315 16 12,352
DK Girls 0 #323 7 7,429
HK Girls 0 #326 347 16,104
KZ Girls 0 #329 4 5,862
PE 0 #329 1 6,350
GT 0 #336 3 5,948
PH Boys 0 #336 48 11,440
JO Girls 0 #339 1 7,570
YE 0 #344 38 8,639
CZ Girls 0 #350 2 5,378
Finland Boys 0 #352 76 2,041
SD Girls 0 #353 6 7,678
GH Boys 0 #357 5 8,138
BR 0 #359 2 5,969
MU Girls 0 #361 2 8,539
JO Boys 0 #363 15 7,057
MU Boys 0 #366 4 8,477
OM Girls 0 #370 27 15,987
QA Boys 0 #374 369 18,093
SG Boys 0 #374 372 17,960
PT Boys 0 #375 7 7,951
SD Boys 0 #391 55 10,523
United States Boys 2024 #398 692 7,044
BD Girls 0 #401 6 8,413
France Boys 2016 #406 3 2,872
Germany 0 #407 31 2,542
BO 0 #408 1 6,868
PH Girls 0 #423 7 13,098
Austria Boys 0 #425 18 2,180
CL 0 #433 2 6,867
ZA 0 #437 11 14,421
LY 0 #438 99 12,703
MX 0 #443 3 8,339
NL Boys 0 #449 660 5,873
IQ Girls 0 #463 42 11,303
RU Boys 0 #463 43 12,621
CR Boys 0 #468 20 10,188
PT Girls 0 #470 2 7,952
KW Girls 0 #481 35 19,177
AR Boys 0 #483 1 7,628
RU Girls 0 #489 10 11,913
GT Boys 0 #498 2 7,625
PA Boys 0 #502 4 9,305
MA 0 #511 943 20,986
SG Girls 0 #515 72 18,916
PA Girls 0 #518 1 9,861
AE Girls 0 #531 23 20,968
PS Boys 0 #534 15 10,655
UY Girls 0 #535 2 6,731
LB 0 #536 123 13,263
IR Boys 0 #538 15 10,162
CM Boys 0 #540 11 12,054
IR Girls 0 #545 1 8,334
PS Girls 0 #547 1 10,981
CM Girls 0 #558 3 11,671
BD Boys 0 #560 17 10,045
CR Girls 0 #571 3 11,342
IQ Boys 0 #591 77 13,071
IL Boys 0 #592 16 10,983
BO Boys 0 #620 3 9,244
AR Girls 0 #628 3 8,289
IL Girls 0 #643 3 11,648
BO Girls 0 #649 3 9,488
CL Boys 0 #654 12 13,390
TN 0 #681 149 13,765
DZ 0 #686 551 20,130
IT 0 #687 28 4,183
SY 0 #698 31 11,684
Germany Boys 0 #700 262 5,697
OM Boys 0 #718 164 17,948
MY Boys 0 #727 412 25,439
Finland Girls 2026 #729 10 3,895
AE Boys 0 #744 362 22,615
Germany Girls 0 #766 73 4,949
NG Girls 0 #771 16 15,093
BR Boys 0 #779 7 12,213
SA Girls 0 #852 84 25,931
Spain Boys 0 #863 68 5,610
PE Boys 0 #867 12 14,506
United States Girls 2024 #901 16 8,487
CO Boys 0 #911 10 15,656
MY Girls 0 #916 79 24,821
NG Boys 0 #917 35 16,906
Spain Girls 0 #964 20 5,561
MX Boys 0 #970 13 16,355
SA Boys 0 #980 748 28,008
IN Boys 0 #983 19 16,750
BR Girls 0 #992 1 12,708
PE Girls 0 #1,007 4 14,861
ZA Boys 0 #1,039 140 25,619
IT Boys 0 #1,049 432 10,046
ZA Girls 0 #1,066 76 25,928
CO Girls 0 #1,150 3 16,140
MX Girls 0 #1,174 10 17,781
TR 0 #1,248 7 19,440
IT Girls 0 #1,304 143 9,415

Bo is popular in 89 countries — most recent births per country:

Norway
Canada
Flanders, Belgium
Belgium
United States

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People also ask about Bo

Bo is a unisex name, given to both boys and girls.
Bo is a one syllable name, pronounced English: /boʊ/ (rhymes with 'go'),Scandinavian: /buː/ or /boː/,Mandarin (pinyin 'Bo'): [pwo] with tone depending on character.
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Beau, Boe, Bó, Bø and Búi (historical).
Across languages, Bo has these equivalents: Beau (French, 'handsome'), Boaz (Hebrew), Bui / Búi (related Old Norse/Scandinavian form).
Yes, very popular — Bo ranked #1 in Germany in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 11 countries.
Bo ranks highest in Germany (#1 in 2025).
Yes — 12 notable people named Bo are in our database, including Boethius (Politician), Park Bo-gum (Actor|musician), Bo Xilai (Politician).