Bo
Boy name · #449 in 2025 · Distinctive
In 2025, 698 baby boys were named Bo, placing it at #449 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #618, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,579 boys born in 2025 was named Bo.
The 118-year story
Bo first appears in the Social Security records in 1907, when 5 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 698 babies and a rank of #449. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Bo per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Bo against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Bo in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Bo is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Bo is most common
Geography matters for names, and Bo is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Bo is most common in UT (1.4 per 1,000), OR (1.2 per 1,000), ID (1.2 per 1,000), TN (1.1 per 1,000), AR (1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.5 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Bo is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Bo
Statistically, parents drawn to Bo tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Bruno, Hugo, Eliseo, Rio, and Asa.
BrunoHugoEliseoRioAsaValentinoBooneNiko
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Bo | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 698 | #449 |
| 2024 | 692 | #452 |
| 2023 | 633 | #478 |
| 2022 | 614 | #497 |
| 2021 | 622 | #480 |
| 2020 | 525 | #540 |
| 2019 | 493 | #566 |
| 2018 | 483 | #572 |
| 2017 | 432 | #610 |
| 2016 | 453 | #595 |
| 2015 | 434 | #618 |
| 2014 | 414 | #633 |
| 2013 | 318 | #733 |
| 2012 | 290 | #782 |
| 2011 | 293 | #764 |
| 2010 | 256 | #834 |
| 2009 | 289 | #784 |
| 2008 | 262 | #834 |
| 2007 | 286 | #767 |
| 2006 | 268 | #775 |
| 2005 | 259 | #764 |
| 2004 | 204 | #862 |
| 2003 | 183 | #909 |
| 2002 | 159 | #988 |
| 2001 | 160 | #958 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Bo a popular boy name?
Bo ranked #449 among boys in 2025 with 698 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #618.
When was the name Bo most popular?
Bo peaked in 2025, when 698 American boys received the name (ranked #449 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Bo?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,579 newborn American boys was named Bo. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.