Bode is a short Germanic name from the element bod and means "messenger" or "herald"; it also survives as a German and Dutch surname. The Olympic ski champion Bode Miller made it known in the United States, and it fits neatly beside Beau and Brooks in the current taste for short, outdoorsy boys' names. Bode entered the US top 1000 in 2024 and ranks number 748 in 2025, its best rank so far.