Hugh
Hugh is the English-language variant of the masculine given name Hugues, itself the Old French variant of Hugo, a short form of Continental Germanic given names beginning in the element *hug- "mind, spirit".
Meaning & Origin of Hugh
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Hugh is the English-language variant of the masculine given name Hugues, itself the Old French variant of Hugo, a short form of Continental Germanic given names beginning in the element *hug- "mind, spirit".
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Hugh
Hugh first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 224 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1916, when 1,619 Hughs were born — ranking #96 that year. As of 2026, Hugh ranks #782 for baby boys with 327 births, gradually rising (+8%). In total, more than 84K Hughs have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Hugh
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Hugh Aitken (composer) (1924–2012), American composer
- Hugh Aitken (curler) , Scottish curler
- Hugh G. J. Aitken (1922–1994), American scholar, recipient of the Leonardo da Vinci Medal
- Hugh Alan Anderson (1933–2015), Canadian politician
- Hugh D. Auchincloss (1897–1976), American stockbroker and lawyer, stepfather of Gore Vidal and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
- Hugh Beaumont (1910–1982), American Actor
- Hugh M. Bland (1898–1967), Justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court
- Hugh Bonneville (born 1963), English actor
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Hugh
Phonetically similar names — useful when Hugh is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Hue
- Hew
- Houe
- Whew
- Heu
- Hewe
- Heugh
- Hyo
- Hyi
- Huu
- Huhu
- Hoo
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Hugh
What does the name Hugh mean?
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In which U.S. states is Hugh most popular?
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About the name Hugh
Hugh is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 84K births in the dataset. Hugh's peak popularity came in 1916 when it ranked #69. Use the chart and map above to compare Hugh's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1916 →
- Names of the 1910s →
- Names starting with "H" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.