Unisex · #443 in 2026

Bo

Bo is a given name of Norse and Chinese origin.

Current Rank
#443
Peak Rank
#443 (2026)
Total Babies
16K
5-Yr Trend
+31%
👧 Girl peak #2,866 (869 total)
👦 Boy peak #443 (16K total)
👦As Boy Name
1907
First Year
2026
Last Year
2026
Peak Year
#443
Peak Rank
16K
Total Count
97
Years Active
👧As Girl Name
1929
First Year
2026
Last Year
2021
Peak Year
#2866
Peak Rank
869
Total Count
50
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Bo

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Bo is a given name of Norse and Chinese origin.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Origin & history
The Norse roots of Bo are in the Scandinavian languages Danish, Norwegian, Swedish. It is associated with the present-day Scandinavian word 'bo', meaning "live", as in exist/living (related to life), and reside/nest (related to dwelling). Bo is also short for names such as Beaufort , Beauregard , Bonita , Bonnie , Robert , or James . The Chinese given name Bo can be spelled as Bō. The meaning can be 波 (bō) "wave" and other meanings depending on the Chinese characters used. It is also a common Chinese surname .

The Story of Bo

As a girl name

Bo first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1929, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2021, when 42 Bos were born — ranking #3,610 that year. As of 2026, Bo ranks #6,518 for girls with 17 births, falling sharply (-30%). In total, more than 869 Bos have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1920s through the 2020s.

As a boy name

Bo first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1907, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 714 Bos were born — ranking #443 that year. As of 2026, Bo ranks #443 for boys with 714 births, rising sharply (+31% over the past five years). In total, more than 16K Bos have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1900s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Girls Boys

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Bo

Phonetically similar names — useful when Bo is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Bo

What does the name Bo mean?
Bo is a given name of Norse and Chinese origin.
How popular is Bo in 2026?
In 2026, Bo ranks #443 among boys' names in the U.S., with 714 babies given the name that year.
When was Bo most popular?
Bo reached its peak popularity in 2026, ranking #443 that year with 714 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Bo most popular?
Bo has historically been most popular in North Dakota, Montana, Idaho. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Bo.
Is Bo a unisex name?
Yes — Bo is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 5% of Bos assigned female and 95% assigned male historically.
What names go well with Bo?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Bo include Ivory, Sandy, Larkin. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Bo

Bo is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1907 and has accumulated 16K births in the dataset. Bo's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #443. Use the chart and map above to compare Bo's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.