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Hugh Name Meaning, Origins & History

Hugh

Pronunciation: HYOO

Meaning Mind, intellect Origin Germanic Gender Boy
BOYS RANK
#732
TREND
31
Peak Years
1916, 1924, 1918
Lowest Years
1993, 1992, 1994
Energy Archetype
Ambitious & Self-Sufficient

Rank shows the name’s position among U.S. baby names for each gender in 2025. Trend shows how many places it rose or fell since 2024. Rank 1 is the most popular. Based on U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) data. Peak and lowest years are based on the number of boys named Hugh in the available records.

Fun Facts About the Name Hugh

  • A favorite of earlier generations: Hugh appeared in the U.S. top 100 in 2 separate runs, totaling 24 years. Its last run lasted 1 consecutive years, from 1916 through 1916.
  • More than 84 thousand babies named Hugh: U.S. records list 84,180 babies given the name Hugh from 1880 through 2025. Even 354 girls received the name Hugh - about 1 girl for every 237 boys.

What Does the Name Hugh Mean?

Hugh is an English masculine name meaning 'heart, mind, spirit.' It comes from the Germanic element hug, from reconstructed Proto-Germanic hugiz, which referred to the mind, thought, or spirit. The name entered English through Old French Hugues, the French form of Latin Hugo. Hugo began as a short form of compound Germanic names beginning with Hug-, such as Hugbert; the first element carried the root's sense, while the second element varied. The gloss 'heart, mind, spirit' is traditional; the older core sense centered on 'mind' and 'thought.'

Hugh Name History & Origins

The Germanic element hug- appears in Old English hyge, Old Norse hugr, and Old High German hugu, all connected with the mind, thought, or courage. The personal name Hugo was used by the Franks and other Germanic peoples and was written as Hugo in medieval Latin documents. In France it developed into Hugues. After the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Norman French Hugues was brought to England and became the English Hugh. The name was common in medieval Europe and was borne by several saints, including St. Hugh of Cluny (1024 - 1109), St. Hugh of Grenoble (1053 - 1132), and St. Hugh of Lincoln (c. 1135 - 1200). It was also the name of Hugh Capet (c. 939 - 996), founder of the French Capetian dynasty. In Wales, Huw developed as a Welsh form of the same name; other language forms include Italian Ugo and Spanish and German Hugo.

How Popular is the Name Hugh?

Hugh recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1916. Hugh ranked among the top 100 U.S. names from 1880 through 1902, then returned in 1916 and remained through 1916.

U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.

Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.

Famous People Named Hugh

Hugh Grant
Hugh Grant
Hugh Jackman
Hugh Jackman

Explore Name Lists Featuring Hugh

Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.

Past Favorite Boy Names

Past Favorite Boy Names: Once-Popular Names

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How the Name Hugh Shapes Your Personality and Life?

You attract success and money. You are a lover of nature and do not need others for your happiness. You are self sufficient. You strive for material success and power and have business sense. You possess strong organizational abilities, can be a good manager, and executive by nature. You are capable of great achievement in business and finance. Emergencies may raise your intuitive abilities in order to resolve conflict or situation. You become very creative under the pressure, and have quite original ideas to make the best out of it.

Position and social status is very important for you and you are always looking for way to improve your position in society. You have power and ability to chose your own destiny and achieve anything you want in life. You can expand in any direction according to your will and the set of values. You have passion for justice and belong to the position of authority. You have an inherent courage and endurance to accomplish "The Impossible Dream". With the power comes responsibility. You hold keys to the material world, but with this gift comes high spiritual responsibility to be fair and true to others. You are philosophical and mature, determined and intense with a desire to endure, often religious.

✦ Hugh's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Hugh's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.
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