Beau
Beau is a boys' name of French origin meaning “beautiful, handsome.” It ranked #60 in the United States in 2025. Directly from the French adjective 'beau' meaning beautiful or handsome.
how do you pronounce Beau?
BOH
Hear it spoken aloud with our AI pronunciation tool.
what does Beau mean?
The name Beau means “beautiful, handsome.” It comes from the French language tradition.
Directly from the French adjective 'beau' meaning beautiful or handsome. In 18th-century English culture, a 'beau' was a fashionable man about town. Beau Brummell, the English dandy, defined men's fashion in the Regency era and gave the term lasting associations with elegance.
where does the name Beau come from?
Either directly from the French beau, meaning beautiful or handsome, or shortened from surname-style given names that begin with it — Wiktionary names Beauregard and Beaumont specifically. Both routes are current.
the history of Beau
In eighteenth-century English usage a beau was a fashionable man about town, and the word was applied as a nickname before it was given as a name. Its use as a formal given name is much more recent and is strongest in the United States, Australia and the Netherlands.
how popular is this name?
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | #60 |
| 2024 | #69 |
| 2023 | #81 |
| 2022 | #90 |
| 2021 | #94 |
| 2020 | #109 |
Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset
what are the nicknames and variants of Beau?
Nicknames
Variants around the world
who are famous people named Beau?
- Beau Bridges (actor)
- Beau Biden (politician)
- Beau Brummell (English dandy)
what names are similar to Beau?
what names go well with Beau?
Sibling names that share Beau's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 · Curated by HushName editorial
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