Hugo
Hugo was the 378th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 837 babies. Its best year was 1881, when it ranked 263rd; the most babies were born in 2025 (837). Over the last ten years it has moved up 54 places. More babies were named Hugo in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning mind, heart · Germanic
Say it HYOO-goh /ˈhjuɡoʊ/
- Rank in 2025
- #378 boys, up 43 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 837boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025837 babies
- Total since 1880
- 37,518babies recorded
What does the name Hugo mean?
Hugo is the Latinized form of Hugh, from a Germanic word for "mind, thought, heart" (Frankish *hugi, Old High German hugu). DMNES gives this and lists kings of France and Italy and several saints named Hugh. Harrison (1918) notes Hugo as the German form. The French writer Victor Hugo made the surname world-famous.
hugu (Old High German, “mind, heart, spirit”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Hugh, Hugues, Ugo.
See also: Germanic names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Hugo', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Hugh', DMNES, Durham University
- Henry Harrison, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary, vol. 2 (1918), s.v. 'HUGO', Morland Press (public domain; Internet Archive scan)
Hugo popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 36 since 1982.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #378 | 837 |
| 2020 | #421 | 709 |
| 2010 | #440 | 616 |
| 2000 | #399 | 638 |
| 1990 | #416 | 552 |
| 1980 | #457 | 339 |
| 1970 | #639 | 162 |
| 1960 | #778 | 96 |
| 1950 | #894 | 59 |
| 1940 | #1,012 | 41 |
| 1930 | #499 | 143 |
| 1920 | #479 | 161 |
| 1910 | #440 | 39 |
| 1900 | #484 | 23 |
| 1890 | #265 | 43 |
| 1880 | #351 | 24 |
How popular is Hugo, counting every spelling?
Hugo has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #391 for boys in 2025, against #378 on the official list, because Kason/Kasen/Casen and Mohamed/Mohammad/Mohammed and Rhys/Reece/Rhyse move ahead once their spellings are combined.
How many kids will share the name Hugo?
837 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Hugo (0.23 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Hugo 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 10 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Hugo.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Hugo?
About 31,300 people born in the US named Hugo are alive today, with a median age of 22; half are between 11 and 36. That makes Hugo mostly worn by children and young adults.
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.
Hugo by state
How common Hugo was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in District of Columbia (4.5×), Washington (2.1×), Oregon (2.0×), Colorado (1.8×), California (1.7×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Louisiana, Alabama, Kentucky.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Hugo: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Hugo, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Hugo · Sibling names for Hugo
Questions about the name Hugo
What does Hugo mean?
Hugo means “mind, heart” (Germanic origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Hugo?
Hugo was the 378th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 837 babies. Its best year was 1881, when it ranked 263rd; the most babies were born in 2025 (837). Over the last ten years it has moved up 54 places. More babies were named Hugo in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Hugo a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Hugo in the US.
Where is Hugo most popular?
In 2021–2025, Hugo was most common in District of Columbia (2.03 per 1,000 boys), followed by Washington and Oregon.