The name beau?

[verytiredmummy1]

We'd pretty much decided on the name beau for a boy but have since heard negative things about it :(
What do you honestly think about the name?
X

[badg3r]

I don't like it I'm afraid. If he's not absolutely, well, beau, then the unfortunate ironic naming will make people giggle. Imagine at school in French class when the other kids find out he's called handsome. Not cool.

[Cookiesandcoffee]

What about using it as a middle name? I know someone who did that, and as a baby she called him Beau but now he's older she's reverted to his first name? (And it seems to suit him better, even if a bit confusing!)

[sambababy]

I like it! I know a guy called it in his 30's but then he's Australian so perhaps easier to pull off that kind of name.

[Meeep]

I think it's a bit naff. Sorry!

[edengarden123]

I have a Beau, who calls himself Bo Bo (he's almost 2). I love it.

Funny the above poster mentioned Bó, my midwife who delivered him try to convince me to spell it "as gaeilge" which translates to cow (as mentioned). Eh no thanks.

While I love the name (obviously) i was always a bit unsure/unsettled (cant think of a better way to describe it) about the spelling. But for me its a trade off for a lovely sounding name

[FoxesSitOnBoxes]

I think it's a cool name but agree he's going to have to be a hotty to pull it off.

[unicornthong]

Sorry to be blunt, but what if he grows up ugly?

[midsomermurderess]

It sounds feminine??

[Nodowntime]

If you have a French link you may pull it of a bit better than most.

Very much doubt it! It's the same as somebody said to a French person that if they had an English link they may pull off naming their son Handsome. As far as I know in French it's not a proper name, it's just a word. If anyone in the French speaking world have that name, they are bound to have an English speaking world link ;)
Anyway, I heard the first time it was used as a name was actually by the author of Gone with the wind, but not sure how true it is.

[VinceNoirLovesHowardMoon]

Really hate it tbh

[Tootyfilou]

Love it

[mrsschu]

It's dreadful. To me it's quite obviously a man's name but a very unattractive one (no pun intended!).

[TyrionLannistersShadow]

Another poster was asking about Bo/Beau recently too and I pointed out then as well that in Irish Bó (pronounced like Beau ) means cow so not a name I would go for myself

[nellyflora]

Honestly I have seen it used on a couple of girls ( very wrongly) recently through work. It is likely to become (I hate saying this) a low class name. Sorry sorry sorry. If you have a French link you may pull it of a bit better than most. X

[sugarplumfairy28]

I like it! Not too feminine at all, Bert Reynolds' character in smokey and the bandit is Beau, and you don't get much manlier than Bert Reynolds

[SirChenjin]

as opposed

[SirChenjin]

Yes - people think about what it means in French. When Beau first appeared in our primary and parents were asking about the spelling it was explained as 'the French Beau and opposed to Bo Diddley'

[Nodowntime]

Does anyone even think of what Beau means in French? I only ever though what it meant in English, like 'suitor, admirer'
I used to really not like it until my good friend named her son Beau. Actually it's his middle name, but they use it as his primary name. Since then I also met a couple 5 y.o. Beaus in DC's school, it suits them, I got used to the name.

Bo as in girl's name I find looks too much like abbreviation BO and with its meaning I wouldn't risk naming a girl like that.

[SoupDragon]

I don't like it. I know it's a boys name but in my head it always seems feminine.

[babyblabber]

I love it!

It's unusual but not crazy. Had it on my list but DH didn't like it. Go for it!

[IguanaTail]

Yes - nothing like farting to make 14 year olds dissolve into fits of giggles.

[SirChenjin]

That's great your class didn't do much more than shrug at Beau - but at the sniggering at Peter

[spankhurst]

It reminds me of Bo Duke of the Dukes of Hazzard. But I am quite old.
Beau is a bit try hard, IMO.

[IguanaTail]

I teach French and I taught a Beau. Really not an issue, after a two second shrug.

Far more amusing when I taught a Peter and someone looked it up and found peter means "to fart" ....

[SirChenjin]

No I don't think it is crazy talk. Can you imagine being in French class and having to repeat "il est beau" - when you're not?!