Bo

Girl name variations

Boy name variations

Family name origins & meanings

• Danish and Swedish : patronymic from the personal name Bo ‘farmer’ (see Boe).
• Chinese : according to legend, some descendants of Shen Nong, a legendary emperor (2734–2697 bc), were granted an area named Bo in modern-day Shandong province, and adopted the place name as their surname. Additionally, an official of the state of Song during the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 bc) was granted a town named Bo in modern-day Henan province, and his descendants also adopted the place name as their surname. The character also means ‘thin’ or ‘slim’, and ‘weak’.
• Chinese : from the name of Bo Yi, a famous adviser to the model emperors Shun and Yao around 2200 bc. This character also means ‘oldest brother’, and is often used as a personal name with this sense.
• Vietnamese : unexplained.
• Other Southeast Asian : unexplained.

Famous people with this first name

Appears on

• ​100 Viking Boy Names for Your Little Viking Warrior