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Home › Baby Names Directory › Bocephus

Bocephus

♂ Boy

Pronounced boh-SEE-fus /boʊˈsiː.fəs/Medium

Meaning: A playful American name, made famous as the nickname of country musician Hank Williams Jr. (from a comedian's puppet, Bocephus). Not a traditional given name; noted honestly.Low

In 30 seconds: A playful pop-culture name: Bocephus is Hank Williams Jr.'s famous nickname (said 'boh-SEE-fus'). Fun, which we note honestly.
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Origin LowAmerican
MeaningA playful American name, made famous as the nickname of country musician Hank Williams Jr. (from a comedian's puppet, Bocephus). Not a traditional given name; noted honestly.
U.S. rank (2024)#11090 ↘ Falling
2024 U.S. births6 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year2023
Total births (all-time)≈ 101

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 202319862024

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Bocephus rose to fame as the nickname of Hank Williams Jr., taken from a comedian's puppet. As a given name it reads playful and distinctly American, which we note honestly - very rare in the U.S. (said 'boh-SEE-fus').

It appears only very rarely as a given name in the U.S. Rare, playful, and pop-culture-based.

Did you know? Bocephus is best known as country musician Hank Williams Jr.'s nickname - originally a comedian's puppet - not a traditional given name, which we note honestly (said 'boh-SEE-fus').
Overall data confidence 30%
References - Bocephus — Hank Williams Jr. nickname; noted honestly

Variations

BocephasBocephusBo

Nicknames

BoCeph

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Bocephus…

Bo— the short form it uses
Jethro— a like country-flavored name
Cletus— a like playful Southern name
Waylon— a like country-music pick

Explore names like Bocephus

By themeuncertainpop-culturesouthernplayful

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Bocephus mean?

Bocephus is a playful name made famous as Hank Williams Jr.'s nickname; it's not a traditional given name, which we note honestly.

How do you pronounce Bocephus?

It's said boh-SEE-fus /boʊˈsiː.fəs/ - three syllables, stress on the second.

Is Bocephus a boy or girl name?

Bocephus is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Bocephus?

Bocephus is a very rare name in the U.S.

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