Bo. Please be gentle.

[applecore]

Bo is a girl's name that caused both me and dp to go 'brilliant!' when we heard it. we haven't told anyone in rl because it's bound to cause huge issues. and i suspect because i'm not entirely convinced.

is it pretentious?
will she be bullied?
will i ever get over saying 'it's spelt B.O.'

the trouble is, i just love it so much and i can picture a funny feisty little girl with this name (no pressure on daughter then..) i have some other, more traditional names lined up - one is my grandma's name, and is a surefire winner with everyone.

any thoughts?

Lovely in its way but the poor spot is going to be hearing sheep baa-ing around her her whole playground life. That is when the little terrors stop making the smelly jokes. Don't do it.

In 'Gone With the Wind' their daughter is Bonnie Blue, shortened to Bo! Bonnie is lovely.

I don't personally think much of it, since you asked for opinions and I fear that it is handing other kids a stick to beat her with. I mean, it's just too inviting, isn't it?

Don't do it.

Give her a 'real' name and use Bo as a pet name if you want to

It's gorgeous, but I would be slightly hesitant to use it too I think.

I had a beautiful name lined up for DS2 that we loved, but didnt go with it in the end as it was just a bit too out there. I am happy I made the right choice.

My niece is Isobel shortened to Bo.

Just can't get past the whole Bo Selecta thing...sorry.

My DD2 is Rebecca. Was nicknamed Becca-Boo, and now quite often gets Bo or Boo.

I like it as a nickname, but couldnt give a child it as a formal full name.

Surely as a Swedish name it's a boy's name isn't it?

Assume you have a multi-syllable surname as Bo Schmo (for example) seems a bit limiting I like the idea of Boudicca - can you imagine "Dr Boudicca Fetherington will see you now" - cool.

I love it. It is my cats name. (probably not what you wanted to hear...sorry)

PictureThis, you don't live at the bottom of my garden do you? My neighbour's cat is called Bo.

Love it! Who cares about "proper names". If she hates it when she's older she can change it at worst.

i think it is lovely.

I love it. I think you could get away with Beau for a little girl quite easily. Lovely name - go for it! (and I also wouldn't consider the B.O. thing either).

And am now wondering whether I dare add it to my list for my (hopefully) impending next baby.........oooh

Awful, don't do it.

Please don't do it! Children can be horribly spiteful & she will be ridiculed for years.

I really don't think it is kind to give a child a name if you have any thoughts that they might dislike it and want to change it. Parents should choose names with care, after all it's the first parenting thing you do pretty much. Names should be chosen with the child in mind, not just because you (the parent) like the sound of it. Parents can call their child any pet/nick name they like, and that's where cutsy names belong IMO.

Bo Selecta springs to mind for me as well, but by the time she is grown up I would think this would be a distant TV memory.

I don't think of B.O. when I see the name, but kids may I guess which could cause a lot of angst when she is at school.

I quite like it, but I thought it was a Swedish name (cos of Ulrika), which is fine in context but if you don't have Swedish roots it would be a bit odd IMO.

Agree with others, I would have a 'proper' name and use Bo as a nickname and she can decide whether to stick with it herself when she is older.

I think Bonnie shotered to Bo is gorgeous!

Bonnie is rally lovely itself.

Its a beautiful name. It was on my list but she just didn't look like a Bo when she came out. But its a lovely name for a girl. And seriosuly... is annyone ever going to be awkward over B.O.? Some silly teenagers may laugh at it sometimem, but so what, if people wnat to tease they'll tease, whether its because of the way you spell her name, or her lanky legs, or her weird tooth or her big bum...whatever, I don't think that should stop you giving your daughter that lovely lovely name.

Oh, and what about Bo Derek? She's a girl, and a gorgeous one at 60 at that!

no here. Regarding other suggestions (Isabeau?????), as a true pedant, I'm a stickler about endings in French, therefore -eau = boy; -elle = girl. Anything else is just plain wrong and confusing. If the Academie Francaise had a police force (and cross border jurisdiction), they'd 'ave your gutz for garterzzzz.

I think it's a very sweet nickname for a tiny child but not so good for an adult. Could you think of something that would shorten to Bo and then she'd have the option later on of using her full name if she wanted to? She might rather stick with Bo but it would be nice for her to have the option of something with a little more gravitas if she felt she needed it.

I begged and pleaded with dh to have it as a middle name for dd2 but he said no he now calls her by it all the time and wishes he had used it

if you love it use it regardless of what others think

Like it as a nn but not sure as a full name. Do prefer it to Beau though

Incidentally, I just wikipedia-ed Bo Derek to see if hers is short for anything and her name is actually Mary Cathleen Collins BUT her brother was born Colin Collins - wtf?