Beau? Does is work for boys and girls?

[rosem777]

Hi Berries,
My husband and I really like Beau Ericson M_____(2 syllables) for our baby due in June. Thoughts? Predictions on popularity? We are stuck however on a girls name. We are not finding out the sex so I would like to have options for both. Does Beau work for a girl? Would you spell it differently? The middle name would be Hazel Rose after family. Does if flow? Any other girl suggestions that go with our middles? (I like the names Violet, Whitley, Ellis, Monroe, Wren, Quinn etc.) No matter how many names I read I still come out with the same list. Thanks for the help!

[marissalou]

I like Beau for a boy..... but not for a girl. I like Hazel Rose M_____. I like Violet, but Violet and Rose are flowers and both Violet and Hazel are colors so it seems pretty repetitive. Good luck!

[augusta_lee]

As a standalone name? Absolutely not. Beau is aggressively masculine to me, up there with Butch -- I mean, it's the word for a MALE suitor!

However, Beau as a nn for a girl named Isabeau (love this name), or Bo as a nn for Bonnie, Deborah, or Boheme would be sweet, spunky, and completely adorable.

[jtucker]

Beau is a great boys name! It doesn't work that well for a girl imo. Beau is a strong name, but shouldn't ever be too popular. How about just Hazel Rose for a girl? I think it sounds really nice. Or, from your other choices Whitley Hazel Rose is nice too.

[lucialucentum]

Beau is a masculine word, and as far as I'm concerned (as a French speaker), it does not work for a girl.

[ottilie]

I call my boyfriend Beau every now and then... it means "handsome" and it is very masculine. I'm saying a definite no.

[maggiefromcanada]

I agree with the above posters. Beau is a masculine adjective in French (counterpart to "belle"), so it seems weird to use it for a girl, especially with the added meaning of a male suitor. Not to mention, Beau as a first name has a bit of a cowboy feel to it. Bo would be okay as a nickname, for Bonnie, Bonita, Bozena...

From the names you posted, I like Wren Hazel Rose and Quinn Hazel Rose.

[heytherepigeon]

Beau is not a name for a girl. It is well-known that it means "handsome" in the French language. It's why "belle" is so popular in the girl name world - it means beautiful.
Beau is great for a boy. A girl? NO.

[rosem777]

We would not spell Beau the same for a girl. I do not like the B.O. association with that particular spelling and I have not fell in love with any of the longer versions like Isabeau. Suggestions?

[kala_way]

What about Bow? as in "tie a bow in your hair"

I agree with the others that on it's own it's assumed to be masculine. Though I also agree that it does have a slightly feminine feel.

What about doing a double-barreled name with -Bow. Anna-Bow, Ivy-Bow, Sara-Bow, Clara-Bow, Ava-Bow, etc.
I think I could get behind something like that.