Hugh
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- HYOO
- Origin
- Germanic
- UK rank, 2025
- #441 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #732 for boys
- Style
- Big in Northern Ireland
Hugh is a boys' name of Germanic origin, meaning “mind, heart”. In 2025 it ranked 441st for boys in the UK (100 babies) and 732nd for boys in the US (360 babies).
What does Hugh mean?
Germanic: Germanic, brought to England by the Normans
“mind, heart”
Saint Hugh of Lincoln, a 12th-century bishop, is remembered for his devoted pet swan.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Hugh a girl's or a boy's name?
Hugh is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 100 boys in the UK and 360 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Hugh in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- 441st among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 100 about 1 in 3,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steady down 24% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 100 boys in the UK were named Hugh, making it the 441st most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 364th. Its busiest year was 1997, with 190 boys.
Half of all the boys named Hugh in the UK since 1996 were born between 2003 and 2017. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
In 2025, 115 boys in the UK were given Hugh or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #409, up from #441 for this spelling alone.
- Hugh 100
- Huw 15
Among boys in 2025, it was 529th in England and Wales, 278th in Scotland and 159th in Northern Ireland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1904 (#55), 1914 (#61), 1924 (#71), 1934 (#81), 1944 (#84) and 1954 (#89).
Hugh in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 100 | #441 |
| 2024 | 93 | #479 |
| 2023 | 128 | #368 |
| 2022 | 134 | #358 |
| 2021 | 127 | #388 |
| 2020 | 139 | #364 |
| 2019 | 141 | #359 |
| 2018 | 143 | #354 |
| 2017 | 147 | #363 |
| 2016 | 162 | #334 |
| 2015 | 161 | #328 |
| 2014 | 158 | #320 |
| 2013 | 131 | #360 |
| 2012 | 136 | #360 |
| 2011 | 157 | #319 |
| 2010 | 141 | #344 |
| 2009 | 131 | #344 |
| 2008 | 131 | #338 |
| 2007 | 104 | #392 |
| 2006 | 117 | #328 |
| 2005 | 132 | #279 |
| 2004 | 143 | #260 |
| 2003 | 116 | #294 |
| 2002 | 130 | #255 |
| 2001 | 107 | #290 |
| 2000 | 113 | #282 |
| 1999 | 141 | #238 |
| 1998 | 146 | #242 |
| 1997 | 190 | #198 |
| 1996 | 157 | #222 |
How popular is Hugh in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- 732nd among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 360 about 1 in 4,700 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steady up 14% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 360 boys in the US were named Hugh, making it the 732nd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 748th. Its busiest year was 1916, with 1,619 boys.
It has been given to more boys each year for the last 3 years. 2025 had more boys named Hugh than any year since 1972.
Half of all the boys named Hugh in the US since 1880 were born between 1922 and 1959, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 369 boys in the US were given Hugh or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #679, up from #732 for this spelling alone.
- Hugh 360
- Hieu 9
Hugh in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 360 | #732 |
| 2024 | 333 | #762 |
| 2023 | 323 | #782 |
| 2022 | 312 | #804 |
| 2021 | 343 | #742 |
| 2020 | 324 | #748 |
| 2019 | 287 | #799 |
| 2018 | 281 | #805 |
| 2017 | 264 | #837 |
| 2016 | 264 | #849 |
| 2015 | 265 | #847 |
| 2014 | 255 | #864 |
| 2013 | 227 | #914 |
| 2012 | 220 | #930 |
| 2011 | 210 | #943 |
| 2010 | 206 | #961 |
| 2009 | 199 | #991 |
| 2008 | 195 | #1,002 |
| 2007 | 200 | #981 |
| 2006 | 184 | #1,000 |
| 2005 | 182 | #958 |
| 2004 | 184 | #922 |
| 2003 | 194 | #878 |
| 2002 | 191 | #865 |
| 2001 | 187 | #857 |
| 2000 | 171 | #905 |
| 1999 | 178 | #848 |
| 1998 | 203 | #773 |
| 1997 | 202 | #741 |
| 1996 | 193 | #761 |
| 1995 | 175 | #804 |
| 1994 | 168 | #815 |
| 1993 | 142 | #899 |
| 1992 | 161 | #829 |
| 1991 | 176 | #770 |
| 1990 | 193 | #733 |
| 1989 | 210 | #683 |
| 1988 | 186 | #687 |
| 1987 | 199 | #646 |
| 1986 | 191 | #646 |
| 1985 | 224 | #586 |
| 1984 | 199 | #604 |
| 1983 | 199 | #605 |
| 1982 | 230 | #564 |
| 1981 | 210 | #590 |
| 1980 | 227 | #574 |
| 1979 | 237 | #558 |
| 1978 | 240 | #533 |
| 1977 | 262 | #504 |
| 1976 | 242 | #516 |
| 1975 | 280 | #478 |
| 1974 | 294 | #468 |
| 1973 | 299 | #454 |
| 1972 | 402 | #393 |
| 1971 | 435 | #384 |
| 1970 | 486 | #368 |
| 1969 | 460 | #366 |
| 1968 | 494 | #351 |
| 1967 | 502 | #337 |
| 1966 | 566 | #311 |
| 1965 | 656 | #293 |
| 1964 | 722 | #291 |
| 1963 | 794 | #272 |
| 1962 | 813 | #270 |
| 1961 | 873 | #269 |
| 1960 | 903 | #266 |
| 1959 | 984 | #254 |
| 1958 | 1,031 | #243 |
| 1957 | 967 | #245 |
| 1956 | 957 | #236 |
| 1955 | 896 | #236 |
| 1954 | 943 | #230 |
| 1953 | 959 | #219 |
| 1952 | 977 | #210 |
| 1951 | 1,024 | #203 |
| 1950 | 959 | #206 |
| 1949 | 1,042 | #198 |
| 1948 | 1,039 | #191 |
| 1947 | 1,201 | #176 |
| 1946 | 1,088 | #174 |
| 1945 | 961 | #171 |
| 1944 | 1,064 | #165 |
| 1943 | 1,206 | #160 |
| 1942 | 1,254 | #154 |
| 1941 | 1,083 | #160 |
| 1940 | 1,060 | #157 |
| 1939 | 999 | #160 |
| 1938 | 1,121 | #146 |
| 1937 | 1,070 | #143 |
| 1936 | 1,074 | #142 |
| 1935 | 1,142 | #139 |
| 1934 | 1,187 | #135 |
| 1933 | 1,118 | #141 |
| 1932 | 1,320 | #128 |
| 1931 | 1,326 | #131 |
| 1930 | 1,343 | #131 |
| 1929 | 1,228 | #139 |
| 1928 | 1,374 | #129 |
| 1927 | 1,357 | #131 |
| 1926 | 1,393 | #128 |
| 1925 | 1,386 | #127 |
| 1924 | 1,541 | #116 |
| 1923 | 1,412 | #123 |
| 1922 | 1,441 | #120 |
| 1921 | 1,485 | #120 |
| 1920 | 1,489 | #115 |
| 1919 | 1,417 | #114 |
| 1918 | 1,489 | #112 |
| 1917 | 1,403 | #110 |
| 1916 | 1,619 | #96 |
| 1915 | 1,318 | #111 |
| 1914 | 967 | #116 |
| 1913 | 754 | #115 |
| 1912 | 648 | #116 |
| 1911 | 307 | #121 |
| 1910 | 279 | #112 |
| 1909 | 260 | #104 |
| 1908 | 215 | #121 |
| 1907 | 212 | #112 |
| 1906 | 195 | #110 |
| 1905 | 200 | #107 |
| 1904 | 202 | #105 |
| 1903 | 193 | #101 |
| 1902 | 217 | #92 |
| 1901 | 192 | #91 |
| 1900 | 290 | #88 |
| 1899 | 209 | #88 |
| 1898 | 250 | #84 |
| 1897 | 213 | #86 |
| 1896 | 263 | #75 |
| 1895 | 243 | #80 |
| 1894 | 269 | #75 |
| 1893 | 241 | #78 |
| 1892 | 265 | #77 |
| 1891 | 233 | #73 |
| 1890 | 219 | #80 |
| 1889 | 225 | #78 |
| 1888 | 253 | #79 |
| 1887 | 250 | #69 |
| 1886 | 227 | #77 |
| 1885 | 257 | #73 |
| 1884 | 246 | #73 |
| 1883 | 215 | #74 |
| 1882 | 239 | #73 |
| 1881 | 219 | #70 |
| 1880 | 224 | #71 |
Nicknames for Hugh
Names like Hugh
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Harry, Henry, Ralph, Charles, George, Frank, Frederick, Albert, William, Edward, Arthur, James
Other spellings of Hugh
Names related to Hugh
More Germanic names
Amelia, Liam, Charlotte, Archie, Charlie, Emma, Freddie, Ella, Millie, Albie, Matilda, Louie, Miles, Alice, Myles, Lottie
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Hugh: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/hugh, updated 20 October 2026.