'''Bo''' is a [[given name]] of [[Old Norse|Norse]] and [[Chinese name|Chinese]] origin.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=22 January 2019 |title=Bo |url=https://www.behindthename.com/name/bo-2 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231208070932/https://www.behindthename.com/name/bo-2 |archive-date=8 Dec 2023 |access-date=18 Nov 2024 |website=Behind the Name}}</ref>
== Background == The Norse roots of Bo are in the [[North Germanic languages|Scandinavian languages]] Danish, Norwegian, Swedish. It is associated with the present-day Scandinavian word 'bo', meaning "live", as in exist/living (related to life), and reside/nest (related to dwelling). Bo is also short for names such as [[Beaufort (surname)|Beaufort]], [[Beauregard (disambiguation)|Beauregard]], [[Bonita (name)|Bonita]], [[Bonnie]], [[Robert]], or [[James (given name)|James]].
The Chinese given name Bo can be spelled as Bō.<ref name=":0" /> The meaning can be ''波 (bō)'' "wave" and other meanings depending on the [[Chinese characters]] used.<ref name=":0" /> It is also a common [[Bo (Chinese surname)|Chinese surname]].
== People with the name == Notable people with the name include:
===Given name=== * [[Bo Allan]] (born 2006), Australian footballer * Bo Anderson, birth name of American Brazilian DJ and producer [[Maga Bo]] *[[Bo Bergman]] (1869–1967), Swedish poet *[[Bo Bichette]] (born 1998), Major League Baseball player *[[Bo Boustedt]] (1868–1939), Swedish Army lieutenant general *[[Bo Bowling]] (born 1987), American football player *[[Bo Bragason]] (born 2004), English actress *[[Bo Brasseur]] (born 1998), Belgian long jumper *[[Bo Brinkman]] (born 1956), American actor, director, and producer *[[Bo Carpelan]] (1926–2011), Finnish poet and author *[[Boetius of Dacia|Bo Danske]], 13th-century Danish philosopher *[[Bo Ehnbom]] (1899–1985), Swedish military engineer *[[Bo Ericson (athlete)]] (1919–1970), Swedish hammer thrower *[[Bo Goldman]] (1932–2023), American writer, Broadway playwright, and screenwriter *[[Bo Gunge]] (born 1964), Danish composer *[[Bo Hamburger]] (born 1970), Danish cyclist *[[Bo Hansson]] (1943–2010), Swedish musician *[[Bo Holmberg]] (1942–2010), Swedish politician *[[Bo Järnstedt]] (1911–1992), Swedish diplomat *[[Bo Johansson]] (born 1942), Swedish former football player and current football coach *[[Bo Larsson]] (1944–2023), Swedish football midfielder/striker *[[Bo Ljungberg]] (1911–1984), Swedish pole vaulter *[[Bo Melton]] (born 1999), American football player *[[Bo Levi Mitchell]] (born 1990), Canadian football quarterback *[[Bo Mossberg]], Swedish author and illustrator of ''Den nya nordiska floran'' *[[Bo Nickal]] (born 1996), American wrestler and mixed martial artist *[[Bo Nix]] (born 2000), American football quarterback *[[Bo Persson (table tennis)]], Swedish table tennis player *[[Bo Petersson]], (born 1946), Swedish football manager and former football player *[[Bo Randall]] (1909–1989), American knifemaker *[[Johan Renck|Bo Johan Renck]] (born 1966), Swedish director of music videos, TV and film *[[Bo Richter]] (born 2000), American football player *[[Bo Rybeck]] (1935–2019), Swedish physician *[[Bo Scarbrough]] (born 1996), American football player *[[Bo Svenson]] (born 1941), Swedish-born American actor *[[Bo Svensson]] (born 1979), Danish football player *[[Bo Toresson]] (born 1939), Swedish politician *[[Bo Varenius]] (1918–1996), Swedish major general *[[Bo Vestergaard]] (born 1965), Danish lightweight rower *[[Bo Widerberg]] (1930–1997), Swedish film director *[[Bo Wilén]] (1944–2023), Swedish diplomat *[[Htun Aeindra Bo]], Burmese actress and singer born Mi Mi Khine in 1966
===Nickname=== * [[Bo Belinsky]] (1936–2001), American Major League Baseball pitcher * [[Bo Bice]] (born 1975), American singer who placed second on the fourth season of ''American Idol'' * [[Bo Bruce]] (born 1984), English singer-songwriter * [[Bo Bolinger]] (1932–2011), American football player * [[Bo Brown]] (1906–1996), American cartoonist * [[Bo Burnham]] (born 1990), American singer songwriter/comedian * [[Bo Burris]] (born 1944), American National Football League player * [[Bo Callaway]] (1927–2014), American politician and businessman * [[Bo Cornell]] (born 1949), American National Football League player * [[Bo Derek]] (born 1956), American actress * [[Bo Diddley]] (1928–2008), American R&B and Chicago blues musician * Bo Dupp, a ring name, along with [[Otto Schwanz]], of American professional wrestler William Happer (born 1972) * [[Bo Goldman]] (1932–2023), American writer, Broadway playwright, and screenwriter * [[Bo Gritz]] (1939–2026), American US Army officer, and perennial candidate * [[Björgvin Halldórsson|Bo Halldórsson]] (born 1951), Icelandic pop singer * [[Bo Hines]] (born 1995), American football player and politician * [[Bo Hopkins]] (1938–2022), American actor * [[Bo Horvat]] (born 1995), Canadian hockey player * [[Bo Jackson]] (born 1962), American National Football League and Major League Baseball player * [[Bo Kimble]] (born 1966), American basketball player * [[Bo Lamar]] (born 1951), American basketball player * [[Bo McCalebb]] (born 1985), American-Macedonian professional basketball player * [[Bo Mitchell]] (born 1970), representative in the Tennessee House of Representatives * [[Bo Outlaw]] (born 1971), American National Basketball Association player * [[Bo Pelini]] (born 1967), American college football head coach * [[Bo Rein]] (1945–1980), American, football player, baseball player, and football coach * [[Bo Roberson]] (1935–2001), American, track and field athlete, and football player * [[Bo Robinson]] (born 1956), American National Football League player * [[Bo Ryan]] (born 1947), American college basketball coach and former player * [[Bo Schembechler]] (1929–2006), American football player, college head coach and administrator * Bo Snerdley, pseudonym of [[James Golden (radio personality)]] * [[Bo Songvisava]] (born 1979/1980), Thai chef * [[Bo Welch]] (born 1951), American production designer, art director, film and TV director, actor
===Chinese given name Bō=== * [[Chu Bo]] (born 1944), Chinese politician * [[Hu Bo]] (1988–2017), Chinese film director * [[Qiu Bo]] (born 1993), Chinese diver * [[Sun Bo (executive)|Sun Bo]] (born 1961), Chinese business executive and engineer
=== Chinese surname Bo === * [[Bo Xilai]], Chinese former politician
==Fictional characters== *Bo Adams, main character in the ''[[Believe (TV series)|Believe]]'' TV series *Bo Abobo from the video game ''[[Double Dragon]]'' *Bo, a character from the video game ''[[Brawl Stars]]'' *[[Bo Brady]], in the soap opera ''Days of Our Lives'' *[[Bo Buchanan]], in the soap opera ''One Life to Live'' *Bo Callahan, main draft prospect in the movie ''[[Draft Day]]'' *Bo Cocky, the main protagonist in the 2006 film ''[[Supertwink]]'' *[[Bo (Lost Girl)]] (Bo Dennis), protagonist of the Canadian TV series ''Lost Girl'' *[[Bo Duke]], one of the main characters in ''The Dukes of Hazzard'' TV series *[[Fresh Beat Band of Spies#Characters|Bo Monkey]], a main character in the Nickelodeon TV series ''Fresh Beat Band of Spies'' *Bo Orlov, a character in the Netflix series ''[[Grand Army (TV series)|Grand Army]]'' *[[Little Bo Peep]], from a nursery rhyme **[[Bo Peep (Toy Story)|Bo Peep]], in the ''[[Toy Story (franchise)|Toy Story]]'' franchise *[[Bo' Rai Cho]], in the ''Mortal Kombat'' video game series *Bo Sheep, in the ''[[U.S. Acres]]'' comic strip *Bo Sinclair, in the 2005 film ''[[House of Wax (2005 film)|House of Wax]]'' *Bo, a cheetah from the British animated TV series ''[[Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies]]'' *Bo, a cartoon character in [[Muse (children's magazine)|''Muse'']] magazine *Bo, an orphan named "Boniface" in the Cornelia Funke novel ''[[The Thief Lord]]'' *Bo, the main protagonist of the 2017 animated film ''[[The Star (2017 film)|The Star]]'' *Bo Hess from the movie [[Signs (2002 film)|Signs]] *Bo, the main protagonist in the animated TV show ''[[Bo on the Go!]]''
== See also == * [[Beau (name)]], given name and surname
==References== {{reflist}}
{{given name|Bo}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bo (Given Name)}} [[Category:Danish masculine given names]] [[Category:Swedish masculine given names]] [[Category:English masculine given names]] [[Category:Chinese masculine given names]] [[Category:Masculine given names]] [[Category:Nicknames]]