Bo
Either borrowed from modern Danish Bo or Swedish Bo, or a spelling variant of the male given name Beau.
Every Bo since 1907 — 15,849 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Bo
Bo is moderately common for boys in the United States, ranked #449 in 2025 with 698 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.
Since 1907, 15,849 American babies have been named Bo — about 95% boys and 5% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2025, when 728 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2020s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Bo stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Bo year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 30 | #4,570 | 698 | #449 |
| 2024 | 17 | #6,679 | 692 | #452 |
| 2023 | 22 | #5,583 | 633 | #478 |
| 2022 | 29 | #4,689 | 614 | #497 |
| 2021 | 42 | #3,627 | 622 | #480 |
| 2020 | 20 | #5,894 | 525 | #540 |
| 2019 | 31 | #4,458 | 493 | #566 |
| 2018 | 32 | #4,369 | 483 | #572 |
| 2017 | 21 | #5,860 | 432 | #610 |
| 2016 | 27 | #5,020 | 453 | #595 |
| 2015 | 17 | #7,029 | 434 | #618 |
| 2014 | 14 | #8,127 | 414 | #633 |
| 2013 | 26 | #5,164 | 318 | #733 |
| 2012 | 19 | #6,642 | 290 | #782 |
| 2011 | 18 | #6,896 | 293 | #764 |
| 2010 | 18 | #6,954 | 256 | #834 |
| 2009 | 16 | #7,736 | 289 | #784 |
| 2008 | 21 | #6,385 | 262 | #834 |
| 2007 | 21 | #6,358 | 286 | #767 |
| 2006 | 29 | #4,838 | 268 | #775 |
| 2005 | 20 | #6,046 | 259 | #764 |
| 2004 | 11 | #9,356 | 204 | #862 |
| 2003 | 20 | #5,847 | 183 | #909 |
| 2002 | 14 | #7,494 | 159 | #988 |
| 2001 | 9 | #10,236 | 160 | #958 |
| 2000 | 5 | #15,389 | 152 | #978 |
| 1995 | 10 | #8,155 | 173 | #813 |
| 1990 | 16 | #5,588 | 277 | #603 |
| 1985 | 17 | #4,476 | 153 | #715 |
| 1980 | 31 | #2,873 | 232 | #568 |
| 1975 | — | — | 51 | #1,183 |
| 1970 | — | — | 25 | #1,749 |
| 1965 | — | — | 18 | #1,863 |
| 1960 | — | — | 27 | #1,556 |
| 1955 | — | — | 10 | #2,586 |
| 1950 | — | — | 9 | #2,599 |
| 1945 | — | — | 6 | #3,021 |
| 1940 | — | — | 5 | #3,502 |
| 1935 | — | — | 5 | #3,703 |
| 1930 | — | — | 8 | #3,052 |
| 1925 | — | — | 9 | #2,954 |
| 1920 | — | — | 8 | #3,246 |
| 1915 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Bo
- Bảo Đại Politician · 1913–1997
- Bo Diddley Musician · 1928–2008
- Bo Xilai Politician · b. 1949
- Bo Widerberg Film director · 1930–1997
- Bo Derek Actor · b. 1956
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Bo mean?
Either borrowed from modern Danish Bo or Swedish Bo, or a spelling variant of the male given name Beau.
How popular is the name Bo in 2025?
Bo ranked #449 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 698 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Bo?
15,849 babies have been named Bo in the United States since 1907, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Bo most popular?
Bo peaked in 2025, when 728 newborns received the name.
Is Bo a boy or girl name?
Bo is used for both: about 5% of babies named Bo have been girls and 95% boys.
Is the name Bo rising or falling?
Bo is on the rise — noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Bo?
Well-known people named Bo include Bảo Đại (politician), Bo Diddley (musician), Bo Xilai (politician).