Given name & surname
Beau
“handsome”·“a handsome man; an admirer”
Beau began as an affectionate description meaning “handsome,” then found a place among given names.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “handsome” and “a handsome man; an admirer” (French). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is French.
The story
The nickname Beau is associated with the Regency figure Beau Brummell. Its adoption as a given name may have been encouraged by the hero of P. C. Wren’s Beau Geste and the character Beau in Gone with the Wind.
Beau through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 66,603
- 65,592 boys · 1,011 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 5,224 babies
- 2025
- 5,224
- #60 for boys · #2,863 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +60%
- Rising fast
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 5,165 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 60 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 60.9% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 59 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (408). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 38,089 as a first name in 2020; 336 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Beau’s family of names
In English usage, Beau has a diminutive in Bo. Beau has a related form in Beauregard. In English usage, Beau has a related form in Bo.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Around the world
Beau has relatives in 3 languages. Lines run from its French roots to each of them.
2 related names in 3 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 8
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Beau
- Beau BridgesAmerican actorborn 1941
- Beau BidenAmerican politician and lawyer (1969–2015)
- Beau GarrettAmerican actress and modelborn 1982
- Beau MirchoffCanadian actorborn 1989
- Beau WillimonAmerican playwright (born 1977)
- Beau KnappAmerican actor and film producerborn 1989
- Beau HoopmanAmerican rowerborn 1980
- Beau BeechAmerican basketball player (born 1994)
- Beau SnellinkDutch speed skaterborn 2001
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Beau, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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