boys' name ★ peaked 1916

Hugh

Meaning heart, mind Gender Boy Rank 2025 #732 Trend ↑ Rising 18%

From the Old French aristocratic and saint's name Hughe, brought to England by Normans, from a short form of Germanic names beginning with Proto-Germanic *hugiz (“heart…

Rank 2025
#732
among boys · ↑30 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
360
named Hugh · +8% vs 2024
How common
1 in 4,745
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1916
1,626 babies
All-time total
84,179
#351 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Hugh popularity over time

84,179 babies have been named Hugh since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.751.52.25318801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 2,355 2,355 236 – #69
1890s – 2,405 2,405 241 +2% #73
1900s – 2,176 2,176 218 -10% #88
1910s 78 10,201 10,279 1,028 +372% #96
1920s 142 14,106 14,248 1,425 +39% #115
1930s 79 11,700 11,779 1,178 -17% #128
1940s 21 10,998 11,019 1,102 -6% #154
1950s 20 9,697 9,717 972 -12% #203
1960s 9 6,783 6,792 679 -30% #266
1970s – 3,177 3,177 318 -53% #368
1980s 5 2,075 2,080 208 -35% #565
1990s – 1,791 1,791 179 -14% #736
2000s – 1,887 1,887 189 +5% #858
2010s – 2,479 2,479 248 +31% #799
2020s (to 2025) – 1,995 1,995 333 +34% #732

Where Hugh is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 371 0.22 outside top 500
2027 381 0.22 outside top 500
2028 390 0.23 outside top 500
2029 397 0.23 outside top 500
2030 403 0.24 outside top 500

Where Hugh is most popular

Boys named Hugh per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.193 per 1,000. Strongest in Utah, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Hugh born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Utah 46 0.482 +149%
Minnesota 56 0.456 +136%
Wisconsin 53 0.447 +131%
Oregon 32 0.422 +118%
Massachusetts 51 0.371 +92%
Montana 6 0.340 +76%
District of Columbia 5 0.339 +75%
Colorado 43 0.333 +72%
Washington 54 0.330 +71%
Nebraska 14 0.322 +66%
Illinois 80 0.313 +62%
Virginia 57 0.300 +55%
Idaho 12 0.293 +52%
Alabama 32 0.293 +51%
South Carolina 29 0.281 +45%
Kansas 19 0.277 +43%
Tennessee 49 0.271 +40%
North Carolina 65 0.255 +32%
Missouri 34 0.245 +27%
Michigan 48 0.234 +21%
Pennsylvania 57 0.215 +11%
Maryland 25 0.210 +8%
Georgia 50 0.197 ≈ national
Ohio 51 0.192 ≈ national
Indiana 30 0.187 ≈ national
New York 79 0.182 -6%
Mississippi 10 0.176 -9%
Iowa 12 0.174 -10%
Kentucky 17 0.169 -12%
Connecticut 11 0.162 -16%
Louisiana 14 0.137 -29%
Arizona 22 0.134 -30%
Texas 117 0.133 -31%
California 110 0.120 -38%
Florida 46 0.097 -50%
New Jersey 19 0.094 -51%
Alaska – – –
Arkansas – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Maine – – –
North Dakota – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Dakota – – –
Vermont – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Hugh

Hugh is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #732 in 2025 with 360 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 84,179 American babies have been named Hugh. Its peak came in 1916, when 1,626 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1910s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Hugh stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Hugh?

The median living Hugh is about 63 years old; half are between 37 and 74. An estimated 33 thousand people named Hugh are alive in the United States today.

median 63 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Hugh year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 360 #732
2024 – – 333 #762
2023 – – 323 #785
2022 – – 312 #804
2021 – – 343 #742
2020 – – 324 #749
2019 – – 287 #799
2018 – – 281 #806
2017 – – 264 #838
2016 – – 264 #850
2015 – – 265 #848
2014 – – 255 #866
2013 – – 227 #915
2012 – – 220 #930
2011 – – 210 #946
2010 – – 206 #961
2009 – – 199 #995
2008 – – 195 #1,003
2007 – – 200 #982
2006 – – 184 #1,001
2005 – – 182 #961
2004 – – 184 #923
2003 – – 194 #880
2002 – – 191 #867
2001 – – 187 #858
2000 – – 171 #909
1995 – – 175 #807
1990 – – 193 #736
1985 5 #11,268 224 #587
1980 – – 227 #574
1975 – – 280 #478
1970 – – 486 #368
1965 – – 656 #293
1960 – – 903 #266
1955 – – 896 #236
1950 5 #5,607 959 #206
1945 – – 961 #171
1940 – – 1,060 #157
1935 12 #2,486 1,142 #139
1930 11 #2,759 1,343 #131
1925 13 #2,683 1,386 #127
1920 18 #2,115 1,489 #115
1915 9 #2,992 1,318 #111
1910 – – 279 #112
1905 – – 200 #107
1900 – – 290 #88
1895 – – 243 #80
1890 – – 219 #80
1885 – – 257 #73
1880 – – 224 #71

Famous people named Hugh

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Hugh Jackman Hugh Jackman Australian actor and singer (born 1968) Contemporary
  2. 2 Hugh Laurie Hugh Laurie English actor, comedian, and musician (born 1959) Contemporary
  3. 3 Hugh Grant Hugh Grant English actor (born 1960) Contemporary
  4. 4 Hugh Hefner Hugh Hefner American magazine publisher (1926–2017) Contemporary
  5. 5 Hugh Glass Hugh Glass American fur trapper and frontiersman (1783–1833) 18th century
  6. 6 Hugh Capet Hugh Capet King of the Franks from 987 to 996 940–996 · Medieval
  7. 7 Hugh Fraser English actor and theatre director b. 1945 · Contemporary
  8. 8 Hugh Keays-Byrne Hugh Keays-Byrne British-Australian actor (1947–2020) Contemporary
  9. 9 Hugh Griffith Hugh Griffith Welsh actor (1912–1980) Contemporary
  10. 10 Hugh the Great Hugh the Great Duke of the Franks and Count of Paris (c. 898–956) Medieval
  11. 11 Hugh Dowding Hugh Dowding Royal Air Force Air Chief Marshal (1882–1970) 19th century
  12. 12 Hugh Hudson Hugh Hudson English film director (1936–2023) Contemporary
  13. 13 Hugh Everett III Hugh Everett III American scientist (1930–1982) Contemporary
  14. 14 Hugh III of Cyprus King of Cyprus (1267–1284) and Jerusalem (1268–1284) 1235–1284 · Medieval
  15. 15 Hugh Lofting Hugh Lofting English-American children's writer (1886–1947) 19th century
  16. 16 Hugh X of Lusignan Hugh X of Lusignan 13th-century French aristocrat 1185–1249 · Medieval
  17. 17 Hugh I of Cyprus Hugh I of Cyprus King of Cyprus from 1205 to 1218 1194–1218 · Medieval
  18. 18 Hugh of Italy Hugh of Italy King of Italy from 926 to 947 880–947 · Medieval
  19. 19 Hugh, Count of Vermandois Hugh, Count of Vermandois French noble (1057–1101) Medieval
  20. 20 Hugh of Saint Victor Hugh of Saint Victor German canon regular and theologian 1096–1141 · Medieval

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Hugh, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Hugh?

The median living Hugh is about 63 years old. Half of all living Hughs are between 37 and 74 years old.

How many people named Hugh are alive today?

An estimated 33 thousand people named Hugh are alive in the United States, based on 84,179 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Hugh mean?

From the Old French aristocratic and saint's name Hughe, brought to England by Normans, from a short form of Germanic names beginning with Proto-Germanic *hugiz (“heart, mind”), such as Hubert.

How popular is the name Hugh in 2025?

Hugh ranked #732 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 360 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Hugh?

84,179 babies have been named Hugh in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Hugh most popular?

Hugh peaked in 1916, when 1,626 newborns received the name.

Is Hugh a boy or girl name?

Hugh is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Hugh rising or falling?

Hugh is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Hugh become more popular?

Hugh is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 403 boys named Hugh in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Hugh?

Well-known people named Hugh include Hugh Jackman (actor), Hugh Laurie (actor), Hugh Grant (actor).

Names like Hugh

Names that sound and feel close to Hugh: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Hugh with similar names → More names starting with H →