Hugh
Hugh was the 732nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 360 babies. Its best year was 1887, when it ranked 69th; the most babies were born in 1916 (1,619). Over the last ten years it has moved up 116 places. More babies were named Hugh in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning mind, heart, spirit · Germanic, Old French
Say it HYOO /hju/
- Rank in 2025
- #732 boys, up 17 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 360boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19161,619 babies
- Total since 1880
- 84,179babies recorded
What does the name Hugh mean?
Hugh came to England with the Normans as Old French Hugues, Hughe, from a Germanic name that was either a short form of compound names such as Hubert or used on its own. It is based on the Germanic word hugu 'mind, heart, spirit', related to Old English hyge 'mind'. DMNES records Latin Hugo in English documents from the 12th century, and notes that it was borne by kings of France and by saints, including Hugh of Lincoln. In Ireland it was used to anglicize Aodh.
hugu (Old High German, “mind, heart”)*hugiz (Proto-Germanic, “mind, thought”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Hugo, Hugues, Huw, Hughie.
See also: Germanic names.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Hugh', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Hugh', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
Nicknames for Hugh
The usual nicknames for Hugh are Hughie.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hughie | Traditional | #10,068 | 15 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Hughs go by each one.
Hugh popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 354 since 1911.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #732 | 360 |
| 2020 | #749 | 324 |
| 2010 | #961 | 206 |
| 2000 | #909 | 171 |
| 1990 | #736 | 193 |
| 1980 | #574 | 227 |
| 1970 | #368 | 486 |
| 1960 | #266 | 903 |
| 1950 | #206 | 959 |
| 1940 | #157 | 1,060 |
| 1930 | #131 | 1,343 |
| 1920 | #115 | 1,489 |
| 1910 | #112 | 279 |
| 1900 | #88 | 290 |
| 1890 | #80 | 219 |
| 1880 | #71 | 224 |
How popular is Hugh, counting every spelling?
Hugh has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #717 for boys in 2025, against #732 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Hugh?
360 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Hugh (0.10 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Hugh born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 23 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Hugh.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Hugh?
About 30,700 people born in the US named Hugh are alive today, with a median age of 62; half are between 35 and 74. That makes Hugh a name most people associate with older generations. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Hugh by state
How common Hugh was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Utah (2.5×), Minnesota (2.4×), Wisconsin (2.3×), Oregon (2.2×), Massachusetts (1.9×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in New Jersey, Florida, California.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Hugh: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Hugh, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Hugh · Sibling names for Hugh
Hugh is also a nickname for Hubert.
Questions about the name Hugh
What does Hugh mean?
Hugh means “mind, heart, spirit” (Germanic, Old French origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Hugh?
Hugh was the 732nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 360 babies. Its best year was 1887, when it ranked 69th; the most babies were born in 1916 (1,619). Over the last ten years it has moved up 116 places. More babies were named Hugh in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Hugh a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Hugh in the US.
Where is Hugh most popular?
In 2021–2025, Hugh was most common in Utah (0.48 per 1,000 boys), followed by Minnesota and Wisconsin.