Beau

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Beau

Gender: Masculine
Language: English
Etymology:
Beau is an French term meaning “Beautiful.”

History:
The first instance of the French word “beau” being used as a name came about in the18th century England. It was bestowed upon such fashionable dandies as Richard Nash (1674-1761), a society leader in Bath, and George Bryan Brummell (1778-1840), a dear friend of the Regent’s.

(in the 19th century the term “beau” was a synonym for sweetheart, boyfriend, or lover)

Later, around the time of the Civil War, Beau was used as a nickname for the name Beauregard, an old French surname transferred for use as a first name by Southern admirers of General Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard (1818-1893). There was a brief, intense explosion of little boys named Beauregard from 1861 until about 1870. Thereafter, both Beauregard, and its nickname Beau, faded into obscurity. The popular novels Beau Geste (1924, film 1939) and Gone With the Wind (1936, film 1939) which featured characters named Beau, failed to revive the name.

The name Beau was revived in 1967, thanks to actor Beau Bridges (1941-). The actor’s real name is Lloyd Vernet Bridges, but he was nicknamed Beau, after the little boy from Gone With the Wind.

Pronunciation: bo.

Alternates: Bo.

Famous Bearers:
Fictional Characters::
Michael “Beau” Geste (1924)
He joined the French Foreign Legion in Beau Geste.
Beau Wilkes (1936)
Son of Ashely and Melanie Wilkes in Gone With the Wind.

Miscellaneous:
Richard “Beau” Nash (1674-1761)
Fashionable Englishman. A leader of society at Bath.
George Bryan “Beau” Brummell (1778-1840)
Fashionable Englishman. A friend of the Regent’s.

Singers and Entertainers:
Lloyd Vernet “Beau” Bridges, III (1941-)
American actor..

Popularity:
Percentage from the 1990 U.S. Census:
0.009 % named Beau

Popularity of Beau:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1880-1966: N/A
1967: 965th most popular. The Incident is relased, starring Beau Bridges.
1968: N/A
1969: 817th most popular.
1970: 625th most popular.
1971: 627th most popular.
1972: 634th most popular.
1973: 583rd most popular.
1974: 558th most popular.
1975: 506th most popular.
1976: 401st most popular.
1977: 354th most popular.
1978: 354th most popular.
1979: 299th most popular.
1980: 203rd most popular.
1981: 229th most popular.
1982: 296th most popular.
1983: 333rd most popular.
1984: 292nd most popular.
1985: 309th most popular.
1986: 308th most popular.
1987: 375th most popular.
1988: 348th most popular.
1989: 383rd most popular.
1990: 357th most popular.
1991: 369th most popular.
1992: 408th most popular.
1993: 433rd most popular.
1994: 407th most popular.
1995: 455th most popular.
1996: 433rd most popular.
1997: 477th most popular.
1998: 443rd most popular.
1999: 482nd most popular.
2000: 471st most popular.
2001: 506th most popular.
2002: 519th most popular.
2003: 423rd most popular.

Selected Sources:
The Internet Movie Database - For information on Beau Bridges
A Dictionary of First Names, Hanks and Hodges, 1990
The Penguin Dictionary of First Names, Pickering, 1999
The Social Security Administration Actuarial Note 139 - For popularity stats 1880-Present
The 1880 U.S. Census- For popularity stats 1850-1880, and other information (it is available on-line at www.familysearch.org)