Beauregard appears 65 times at rank 1585 on male pets. It's a name with deep Southern aristocratic associations — P.G.T. Beauregard was a Confederate general, and the name has lived in Southern culture ever since as a marker of old-money regional identity. Owners choosing it are making a specific aesthetic statement.
The Southern Aristocratic Register
Beauregard comes from the French meaning "beautiful view" (beau + regard), and its American life has been almost entirely confined to the antebellum South and its cultural descendants. The name signals old-money Southern sensibility, the kind that names dogs after generals and expects them to live up to the title. Basset Hounds and Bloodhounds wear it with appropriate gravitas — droopy, dignified, slow-moving dogs who seem born for the name.
The Pop Culture Connection
Beauregard has appeared as a character name in American film and television often enough to give it a wider recognition. The name also appears in Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as Violet Beauregarde. Beau is the obvious shortened form for daily use. The human name lives at /names/beauregard.
The Counter-Reading
Beauregard is a name that requires commitment. It's long, specific, and carries historical weight that some owners find meaningful and others find uncomfortable given the Confederate association. The French etymology is beautiful; the American history is complicated. Most owners are reaching for the aesthetic, not the history.