Handsome or attractive, in the French word-derived tradition
French beau is explicitly glossed handsome, fine and attractive, and the English Beau entry directly documents borrowing from this adjective. This gloss describes the word-derived route; short forms of Beauregard or Beaumont also have their own fuller name histories.
Origin
French word borrowing or English short form of Beauregard or Beaumont
The exact English given-name entry documents these alternative formation routes. French describes the word-borrowing route, rather than every bearer or every use of the name.
English pronunciation
/boʊ/
Directly documented English name reading. The guide is approximate; other accents and preferred readings can differ.
Recorded English reading, as published. Accents and preferred pronunciations can differ.
Published name usage
Counts apply only to the exact spelling, place, year and recorded usage shown. Places are separate; these figures are never added into a worldwide total. Missing or suppressed records never mean zero.
Latest published record available for this spelling in each place and recorded usage
Place
Year
Recorded usage
Published births
Rank
Notes
Canada
2025
Girls
5 · preliminary
3478
2025 figures are preliminary. Quebec counts below five are randomly imputed by the publisher before national aggregation. Accents are removed in the source; this profile was matched only where the catalog spelling was unambiguous. Unpublished values are unknown, not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Canada
2025
Boys
429 · preliminary
64
2025 figures are preliminary. Quebec counts below five are randomly imputed by the publisher before national aggregation. Accents are removed in the source; this profile was matched only where the catalog spelling was unambiguous. Unpublished values are unknown, not zero. Rank basis: source published.
France
2025
Boys
5 (rounded to 5)
5658
Counts are rounded to the nearest multiple of five. Ranks use unrounded publisher counts with randomly ordered ties; equally rounded counts can have different ranks. National coverage excludes Mayotte before 2012. Missing years are unavailable, not zero. Automated direction labels are withheld for this rounded-count series. Rank basis: source published.
England & Wales
2025
Girls
82
483
Published ranks differ from ranks calculated over visible rows. Counts retained; automated trend labels withheld. Rank basis: source published.
England & Wales
2025
Boys
487
108
Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Northern Ireland
2014
Girls
4
365
Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Northern Ireland
2025
Boys
15
149
Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Scotland
2025
Girls
10
324
Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Scotland
2025
Boys
17
243
Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Ireland
2025
Girls
5
608
Names below three occurrences are unpublished. Accent recording changed in 2018; comparisons across that boundary may not describe the same spelling coverage. Counts refer to registrations in the year. Missing years are unavailable, not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Ireland
2025
Boys
34
152
Names below three occurrences are unpublished. Accent recording changed in 2018; comparisons across that boundary may not describe the same spelling coverage. Counts refer to registrations in the year. Missing years are unavailable, not zero. Rank basis: source published.
United States
2025
Girls
59
2859
Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: calculated from published counts.
United States
2025
Boys
5,165
60
Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: calculated from published counts.
Canada, Ireland and France coverage includes confidently matched existing profiles only; unmatched spellings are awaiting review. French counts are rounded to five.
Sources & notes
Open an entry for its source, credit, licence and full qualifications. Different name traditions remain separate.
Language of use: English
Checked against cited source
The exact English entry explicitly records male given-name use. Language of use is distinct from ancestry or nationality. Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names; CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). No source audio reused.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Meaning: Handsome or attractive, in the French word-derived tradition
Checked against cited source
French beau is explicitly glossed handsome, fine and attractive, and the English Beau entry directly documents borrowing from this adjective. This gloss describes the word-derived route; short forms of Beauregard or Beaumont also have their own fuller name histories. Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names; CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). No source audio reused.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Short form of: Beaumont
Checked against cited source
Explicit short-form relationship in the reviewed English name entry. Each spelling retains separate statistics and may have additional histories.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Short form of: Beauregard
Checked against cited source
Explicit short-form relationship in the reviewed English name entry. Each spelling retains separate statistics and may have additional histories.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Origin: French word borrowing or English short form of Beauregard or Beaumont
Checked against cited source
The exact English given-name entry documents these alternative formation routes. French describes the word-borrowing route, rather than every bearer or every use of the name. Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names; CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). No source audio reused.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
English pronunciation: /boʊ/
Checked against cited source
Directly documented English name reading. The guide is approximate; other accents and preferred readings can differ.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Supporting evidence: beau
Checked against cited source
The French adjective supports the meaning in the documented French word-borrowing route. English boyfriend and dandy senses are excluded. Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names; CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). No source audio reused.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Syllables: 1 (these documented English readings)
Checked against cited source
Directly documented English name reading. The guide is approximate; other accents and preferred readings can differ.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
Statistics Canada, Table 17-10-0147-01, 1991–2025, released 23 September 2026.
Credit: Statistics Canada, Table 17-10-0147-01, 1991–2025, released 23 September 2026.
License: Statistics Canada Open Licence
Adaptation: Adapted from Statistics Canada, First names at birth by sex at birth, selected indicators, Table 17-10-0147-01, reference years 1991–2025. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.
Central Statistics Office, Ireland, VSA50 and VSA60, updated 27 February 2026.
Credit: Central Statistics Office, Ireland, VSA50 and VSA60, updated 27 February 2026.
License: CC BY 4.0
Adaptation: Adapted by Rare Baby Names: joined the published count and rank indicators and matched unambiguous existing spellings. Source values retained.
Source : Insee, Fichier des prénoms, updated 16 July 2026.
Credit: Source : Insee, Fichier des prénoms, updated 16 July 2026.
License: Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab)
Adaptation: Adapted by Rare Baby Names: column names and sex codes mapped and unique case-only spellings matched to existing profiles. Published rounded counts and ranks retained.