What does Beau mean?
Beau comes directly from the French for “handsome” or “beautiful.”
What does Leroy mean?
From the Old French 'le roi', meaning 'the king', originally a Norman nickname or occupational byname. A literal 'the king' name.
Beau vs Leroy
Which is more popular?
Beau is more popular than Leroy today: about 5,165 US babies were given the name Beau in 2025, compared with 0 named Leroy.
| Beau | Leroy | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Handsome | the king |
| Origin | French | french |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | BOH | luh-ROY |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1932 | 0 |
| Peak year | 2025 (5,165) | 1924 (3,922) |
| In 2025 | 5,165 | 0 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Vintage |
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Beau
Leroy
Source: US Social Security Administration.
Births by decade
| Decade | Beau | Leroy |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 25,086 | 1,596 |
| 2010s | 17,768 | 2,173 |
| 2000s | 6,134 | 2,159 |
| 1990s | 5,617 | 3,554 |
| 1980s | 7,174 | 5,600 |
| 1970s | 3,145 | 8,408 |
| 1960s | 472 | 15,220 |
| 1950s | 123 | 24,588 |
| 1940s | 68 | 33,864 |
| 1930s | 5 | 36,255 |
| 1920s | 0 | 37,871 |
| 1910s | 0 | 21,275 |
| 1900s | 0 | 4,300 |
| 1890s | 0 | 2,544 |
| 1880s | 0 | 1,574 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Beau or Leroy more popular?
Beau is more popular than Leroy today: about 5,165 US babies were given the name Beau in 2025, compared with 0 named Leroy.
What is the difference between Beau and Leroy?
Beau means Handsome (French origin), while Leroy means the king (french origin).
Which name is older, Beau or Leroy?
In US records, Beau first appears in 1932 and Leroy in 0, so Leroy has the longer recorded history.