Bo is a boy name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Bo means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Bo across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Bo has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Bo is a boy name of Scandinavian origin meaning “to live, householder”. A Scandinavian name, also used as a nickname.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 15,849 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 926 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 20 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 36 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Bo per year, United States (1907 to 2025). United States peaked in 2025 (728/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2012 (75/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2012 (5/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2010 (5/yr).
Bo has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 2025, when it ranked #876 nationally (given to 745 babies that year).
Bah · Bao · Bea · Bay · Bee · Pao · Boe · Boy
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