Given name & surname · also Gaelic, Germanic
Hugh
“having a bright mind”
Hugh is used as a given name and a surname. One German interpretation is “having a bright mind.”
Original GermanHugo
Meaning & origin
What it means
One German interpretation is “having a bright mind.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Germanic.
The story
Its historical bearers include members of the aristocracy.
Hugh through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 84,179
- 83,825 boys · 354 girls
- Most popular year
- 1916
- 1,626 babies
- 2025
- 360
- #732 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +18%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 360 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 732 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 17.7% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 1,619 in 1916. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (30). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 37,239 as a first name in 2020; 1,146 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Hugh’s family of names
In English usage, Hugh has a diminutive in Huey. In English usage, Hugh shares a linguistic root with the Finnish form Hugo. Hugh has a related form in Hue.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Hugh has relatives in 31 languages. Lines run from its Proto-Germanic roots to each of them.
78 related names in 31 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 43
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Hugovariant · German, Portuguese
- Hueydiminutive · English
- Hewittdiminutive · English
- Hughesvariant
- Howiediminutive · English
- Hutchinsondiminutive · English
- Hutchisondiminutive · English
- Hughiediminutive · English, Scots
Show 35 moreShow fewer
- Hulettdiminutive · English
- Hewlettdiminutive · English
- Huguettediminutive · French
- Howevariant · English
- Huevariant
- Huvariant
- Hugheyvariant
- Hughyvariant
- Huguesvariant · French
- Huddenickname
- Hefnickname
- Huitsondiminutive · English
- Huetsondiminutive · English
- Howatsondiminutive · English
- Hutchenspet form · English
- Howeydiminutive · English
- Howiesondiminutive · English
- Hewisondiminutive · English
- Hewetsondiminutive · English
- Huittdiminutive · English
- Huettdiminutive · English
- Huetdiminutive · English
- Howlettdiminutive · English
- Howittdiminutive · English
- Howettdiminutive · English
- Howatdiminutive · English
- Hewatdiminutive · English
- Hewettdiminutive · English
- Hewvariant · English
- Huggettdiminutive · English
- Hugheavariant
- Hugheevariant
- Hughivariant
- Huwvariant · Welsh
- Hewevariant
Across languages 55
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Ugocognate · Italian
- Hulinpatronymic from · English
- Hutchesonpatronymic from · English
- Hutchinspatronymic from · English
- Uguccioneequivalent
- Ughinoequivalent
- Huonequivalent
- Ugoneequivalent
Show 47 moreShow fewer
- Hukoequivalent
- Hooson“son of” surname · English
- Hughson“son of” surname · English
- Howson“son of” surname · English
- Hewson“son of” surname · English
- ХьюRussian
- Hulancepatronymic from · English
- Howchinpatronymic from · English
- Huggonpatronymic from · English
- Huckinpatronymic from · English
- Hookinspatronymic from · English
- HugonPolish
- Mcquillanderivative · English
- Huelinpatronymic from · English
- Howkinspatronymic from · English
- Howlingpatronymic from · English
- Howlinpatronymic from · English
- Hewkinpatronymic from · English
- Houchenpatronymic from · English
- Hukinpatronymic from · English
- Hugginspatronymic from · English
- Hukinspatronymic from · English
- Hutchersonpatronymic from · English
- Hutchingspatronymic from · English
- Hutcheonpatronymic from · English
- Hutchinpatronymic from · English
- Huettefeminine form
- Ùisdeanoriginal
- Haukeequivalent
- ГугоRussian
- هوگوPersian
- UguesOccitan
- UcOccitan
- EashdynManx
- UģisLatvian
- Aodhoriginal · Irish
- HugóHungarian
- ΟύγοςGreek
- ჰიუგოGeorgian
- ჰიუGeorgian
- HuugoFinnish
- 休Mandarin
- HugCatalan
- ХюBulgarian
- হিউBengali
- ՀուգոArmenian
- Hughinafeminine form
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Hugh
- Hugh JackmanAustralian and English actor and singer (born 1968)
- Hugh GrantBritish actorborn 1960
- Hugh HefnerAmerican businessman and magazine publisher (1926–2017)
- Hugh David PolitzerAmerican physicistborn 1949
- Hugh MasekelaSouth African jazz trumpeter1939–2018
- Hugh BonnevilleBritish actor (born 1963)
- Hugh GriffithWelsh actor (1912–1980)
- Hugh DancyEnglish actor (born 1975)
- Hugh of Saint VictorGerman-French canon regular and theologian1096–1141
Characters named Hugh: Bulldog Drummond (fictional character created by H. C. McNeile (pen name "Sapper")), Hugh Culber (Star Trek).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Hugh, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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