Bo

At a Glance: Name: Bo – Meaning: to dwell, to live (the Scandinavian sense) – Origin: Scandinavian (Danish/Swedish, from Old Norse 'búa, ' to dwell/live); the same spelling is also an established Chinese given name (a separate, unrelated origin), and occasionally a variant of Beau – Gender: Boy – Pronunciation: BOH

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Bo is a short, clean boy's name with a bold, modern feel, pronounced BOH (/ˈboʊ/). It comes from the Scandinavian Danish and Swedish name, from Old Norse 'búa,' meaning to dwell or to live. You may see it said to mean 'precious,' but that isn't accurate for the Scandinavian name; it appears to be a mix-up in baby-name listicles. The same spelling is also an established Chinese given name with a separate, unrelated origin, and it's occasionally used as a variant of Beau.

Meaning & Origin of Bo

Meaning: To dwell, to live (the Scandinavian sense).

Origin: Scandinavian (Danish/Swedish, from Old Norse 'búa, ' to dwell/live); the same spelling is also an established Chinese given name (a separate, unrelated origin), and occasionally a variant of Beau.

A common claim: sometimes said to mean 'precious' Actually: not accurate for the Scandinavian name — that claim appears to be a mix-up in baby-name listicles; the Danish/Swedish 'Bo' actually derives from 'to dwell/live,' not 'precious.'

Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.

How to Pronounce Bo

Phonetic: BOH   IPA: /ˈboʊ/

Popularity of Bo

Bo ranks #451 in the U.S. as of 2024, with 692 babies given the name that year. That is also its highest rank in the Social Security data, which runs from 1907 to 2024, so Bo is at its most popular right now.

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1907–2024.

Make Bo Name Art

Free printable nursery art for Bo, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.

Names With a Similar Story

Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.

• Kaysen
• Gunnar
• Jensen
• Ragnar
• Thor
• Viggo

FAQ

What does the name Bo mean?

To dwell, to live (the Scandinavian sense). (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Bo)

How do you pronounce Bo?

Bo is pronounced BOH (IPA: /ˈboʊ/).

Is Bo a popular name right now?

Bo is at its highest recorded popularity right now, ranked #451 in 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1907–2024.)

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