Beau is of French origin, translating to 'handsome' or 'beautiful'. It has been primarily used as a boy's name but can also be given to girls. Beau is considered a unisex name and gained popularity in the United States during the mid-20th century.
The name Beau has seen fluctuating popularity over the years, with a significant increase in usage since the early 2000s. Between 1977 and 1994, the number of annual births with the name Beau varied between 5 to 7 births per year, with a brief spike to 23 births in 1980. However, starting from 1999, there was a notable rise in popularity, with the number of annual births consistently ranging from 6 to 51 since then, peaking in 2022 with 59 births. Overall, Beau has been given to 885 babies over the years.