UK name, mostly girls
Boe
Unusual English name of undetermined origin and meaning.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Also recorded as a boys' name in the UK, with 168 boys.
Boe is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Boe popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3695, with 6 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2012, with 27 births.
This profile covers 262 England and Wales registrations across 22 recorded years from 2003 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 22% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 264 living people in the UK are called Boe. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Boe ranked #3695 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 6 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2012, when 27 girls were registered as Boe.
- • Boe ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #792 in 2021.
- • Boe is also recorded for boys, but the girls side is the larger UK variant in these records.
- • About 264 living people in the UK are estimated to have Boe as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 60.9% of Boe registrations are for girls.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3695
2024
Births in 2024
6
Latest year
Peak year
2012
27 births
Estimated living
264
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Boe
In England and Wales birth records, Boe has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 39.1% of registrations are for boys and 60.9% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Boe registered for boys
- Ranked #2,443 in 2024
- 9 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 2011 (16 births)
Boe registered for girls
- Ranked #3,695 in 2024
- 6 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 2012 (27 births)
Meaning
What does Boe mean?
The name Boe is believed to have its origins in the Old Norse language, which was spoken by the Germanic peoples of Scandinavia during the Viking Age, around the 8th to 11th centuries. It is thought to be derived from the Old Norse word "bóandi," meaning "dweller" or "inhabitant."
One of the earliest known references to the name Boe can be found in the Icelandic sagas, which are prose narratives that were written in the 13th and 14th centuries. These sagas often featured characters with names derived from Old Norse words, and it is likely that the name Boe appeared in some of these texts.
The name Boe was not uncommon among the Vikings and other Norse peoples, as it reflected their connection to the land and their identity as settlers or inhabitants of a particular region. Over time, the name spread to other parts of Europe and the world as the Vikings and other Norse peoples migrated and settled in new areas.
One notable historical figure who bore the name Boe was Boe Biörn Ironside, a legendary Viking warrior who lived in the late 10th century. According to Norse sagas, Boe Biörn was known for his incredible strength and bravery in battle, and he played a pivotal role in many of the Vikings' conquests and explorations.
Another famous bearer of the name Boe was Boe Finnsson, a Norwegian explorer who lived in the 12th century. Boe Finnsson is credited with being one of the first Europeans to reach Greenland and establish a settlement there, paving the way for future Norse colonization of the region.
In the 15th century, there was a Dutch artist named Boe Hendricksen who was renowned for his intricate woodcarvings and sculptures. Boe Hendricksen's work can still be seen in various churches and museums throughout the Netherlands and other parts of Europe.
Boe Sigurdsson was a prominent Icelandic chieftain and lawspeaker in the 10th century. He played a significant role in the establishment of the Althing, which was one of the world's oldest surviving parliamentary institutions and an important part of Iceland's cultural and political history.
Finally, Boe Svensson was a Swedish explorer and cartographer who lived in the 17th century. He is best known for his detailed maps of the Arctic regions, which were instrumental in facilitating further exploration and trade in those areas.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Boe over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Boe in England and Wales, from 2003 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Boe, the clearest high point is 2012. The latest England and Wales figure is 6 births in 2024, compared with 27 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Boe by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Boe was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #2736 | 48 | 5 |
| 2010s | #2118 | 151 | 10 |
| 2000s | #2560 | 63 | 7 |
Geography
Where Boe is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Boe. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Boe ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #792 in 2021.
Across the UK
Boe in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#792 in 2021
1 years of NRS records, 3 total registered
Related
Names similar to Boe
- Bethany 43,226
- Brooke 18,370
- Bella 14,112
- Bonnie 12,149
- Beatrice 11,306
- Bethan 7,968
- Beth 6,440
- Betsy 5,065
- Beatrix 4,317
- Billie 4,220
- Beau 3,231
- Bryony 3,167
FAQ
Boe: questions and answers
How popular is the name Boe in the UK right now?
In 2024, Boe was ranked #3695 for girls in England and Wales, with 6 births registered.
When was Boe most popular?
The peak year on record was 2012, with 27 babies registered as Boe in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Boe?
Unusual English name of undetermined origin and meaning.
How many people are called Boe in the UK?
A total of 262 babies have been registered as Boe across the 22 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3 more in Scotland.
Where is Boe most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Boe ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #792 in 2021. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.