This name isn't like calling someone a clown. The name is Božo, not Bozo. It's more like shortening the name Joshua to Josh. I place this comment here to explain that not every name makes a whole lot of sense in English, because Božo isn't an English name. It's a Croatian name. And it's beautiful.
― Anonymous User 12/21/2021
8
Besides being the short form of Božidar, as a name Božo also stands on its own. Etymologically, it can simply be derived from bozy (divine). So for instance, in Croatia it was traditionally given to children born on Christmas - 'Božić' in Croatian - Božo for boys, and Boža, Božica or Božena for girls. As such, they were used as Slavic equivalents of the Latin names Natalis (male) and Natalija (female). The Latin form is typically to be found in church registers from the times when they were written in, indeed, Latin, while in everyday life Božo was always used. Again, this was the case in Croatia, I'm not sure about other countries.
It doesn't sound silly because it's not pronounced like Bozo. I think it's a wonderful name, but definitely dated. I know a boy named Teo, and Božo is his nickname because Teo and Božo have the same meaning.