Beau
Masculine name of French origin meaning "handsome" or "beautiful".
Name Census estimates that about 60,185 living Americans carry the first name Beau. It sits at #69 in the overall ranking, outside the top 50 but still well-represented. It is a predominantly male name (98.5% of registrations). The average person named Beau today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Beau births was 2024 (4,759 babies). In terms of living bearers, it sits close to Piper (60,167).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Beau. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Although Beau is used almost entirely for boys, the SSA data does show 951 girls registered with the name since 1880.
- • Beau is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 17 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
60K
~ 1 in 5,695 Americans
Peak year
2024
4,759 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2024 SSA rank
#69
Tracked since 1932
Gender
Gender distribution for Beau
Beau leans heavily male at 98.5% of total registrations, but 951 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Beau as a male name
- Ranked #69 in 2024
- 4,694 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (4,694 births)
Beau as a female name
- Ranked #2,660 in 2024
- 65 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (65 births)
Popularity
Beau: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Beau from the 1930s through to the 2020s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 20,188 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Beau by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Beau during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Beaus live
The SSA's state-level files cover 51 states and territories. California, Texas, Ohio recorded the most babies named Beau, while District of Columbia, Rhode Island, Vermont recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 1,147 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Beau
Beau is a French name derived from the Old French word "beau" meaning "handsome" or "beautiful." The name has been in use since the Middle Ages and was initially used as a nickname or descriptive term rather than a formal given name.
The earliest recorded use of Beau as a given name dates back to the 13th century in France. During this time, it was common for people to adopt descriptive nicknames based on physical characteristics or virtues, and Beau likely emerged as a complimentary term for an attractive individual.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the name Beau was Beau Brummell (1778-1840), an influential English gentleman and arbiter of men's fashion in the Regency era. His impeccable style and attention to detail set the standard for men's dress in the early 19th century, and the term "Beau Brummell" became synonymous with elegance and refinement.
Another famous Beau in history was Beau Nash (1674-1761), a celebrated English dandy and master of ceremonies at the city of Bath. He played a significant role in establishing Bath as a fashionable resort town and was known for his wit, charm, and love of extravagance.
In the realm of literature, Beau Tibault is a prominent character in William Shakespeare's play "Henry VI, Part 2." Tibault is a French nobleman and a supporter of the House of York during the Wars of the Roses. The name Beau was likely chosen to reflect his noble and handsome character.
One of the earliest recorded instances of Beau as a given name in the United States was Beau Brummell Browne (1779-1861), an American soldier and politician from Kentucky. He served in the War of 1812 and later became a prominent figure in Kentucky politics.
Another notable American with the name Beau was Beau Hickory (1913-1964), a professional wrestler from Texas. He was known for his flamboyant persona and showmanship in the ring, embodying the spirit of the name Beau.
Over time, the name Beau has transcended its original French roots and has been adopted globally, particularly in English-speaking countries. While it retains its association with attractiveness and charm, it has also become a popular choice for parents seeking a unique and stylish name for their children.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Beau
People
Beau + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Beau as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Beau: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Beau?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 60,185 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Beau going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 5,695 US residents.
Is Beau a common name?
We classify Beau as "Uncommon". It ranks above 99.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 61,360 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Beau most popular?
The single biggest year for Beau was 2024, when 4,759 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Beau is about 17 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Beau a male name?
Yes, 98.5% of people registered as Beau in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.