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Hugh

Hugh is a boy's name of French origin meaning “heart, mind.” In 2024 it was given to 332 boys in the United States.

Hugh at a glance

Gender
Boy name
Origin
French · English & American
Meaning
“heart, mind”
Pronunciation
/hjuː/
Also spelled
Hugo

About the name Hugh

Hugh belongs to the French and English & American tradition. Its meaning — “heart, mind” — is the sense carried by its French roots, and it is the meaning we verified against published sources for this page. It travels in a few spellings: Hugo.

In the United States, Hugh first appears in Social Security records in 1880. It climbed to its best-ever rank of #69 in 1887, and in 2024 332 babies received the name — 83,466 in total since 1880. Those are the official counts, not estimates.

Hugh in US records

First recorded (US)
1880
Best US rank
#69 in 1887
Peak year
1916
Babies named Hugh in 2024
332
Total since 1880
83,466

Hugh in England & Wales records

First recorded (since 1996)
1996
Best rank
#198 in 1997
Babies named Hugh in 2025
73
Total since 1996
3,287

Spellings & short forms

Hugo

Similar names

More names from the French shelf:

CharlesFrenchAndrewFrenchJeffreyFrenchGaryFrenchJustinFrenchRaymondFrenchHenryFrenchPatrickFrench

Frequently asked questions

What does the name Hugh mean?

Hugh means “heart, mind” in its French roots. We check every meaning against published sources before it appears here.

Is Hugh a boy or girl name?

Hugh is a boy name. In 2024, 332 babies received the name in the US.

What origin is the name Hugh?

Hugh comes from the French and English & American tradition. It is also spelled Hugo.

How popular is the name Hugh?

Hugh first appears in US records in 1880. Its best-ever ranking was #69 in 1887, and 332 babies were given the name in 2024.

How do you pronounce Hugh?

Hugh is pronounced /hjuː/ (IPA).

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Meaning and origin for this page were checked against this source. US popularity figures are from the Social Security Administration's public baby-names data. England & Wales figures are from the Office for National Statistics. If you spot an error, write to [email protected] — accuracy is the whole point of this site, and corrections are made fast.