Hughes: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#4,309

among boys · ↑639 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Hughes · +20% vs 2024

How common

1 in 71,170

boys born in 2025

Peak year

1916

61 babies

All-time total

919

#5,426 all-time among boys

First recorded

1896

in Social Security records

Hughes popularity over time

919 babies have been named Hughes since 1896, 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

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	Boys	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	–	–	–	–
1890s	6	1	–	#1,044
1900s	–	–	–	–
1910s	190	19	–	#794
1920s	135	14	-29%	#1,491
1930s	90	9	-33%	#1,923
1940s	76	8	-16%	#2,040
1950s	73	7	-4%	#2,251
1960s	21	2	-71%	#3,808
1970s	6	1	-71%	#4,658
1980s	26	3	+333%	#6,243
1990s	29	3	+12%	#6,054
2000s	43	4	+48%	#7,112
2010s	105	11	+144%	#5,766
2020s (to 2025)	119	20	+89%	#4,309

Where Hughes 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	26	0.02	outside top 500
2027	28	0.02	outside top 500
2028	30	0.02	outside top 500
2029	31	0.02	outside top 500
2030	33	0.02	outside top 500

The story of Hughes

Hughes is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #4,309 in 2025 with 24 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1896, 919 American babies have been named Hughes. Its peak came in 1916, when 61 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 Hughes stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Hughes?

The median living Hughes is about 16 years old; half are between 5 and 59. An estimated 400 people named Hughes are alive in the United States today.

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

Hughes year by year

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

Year	Boys	Boys rank
2025	24	#4,309
2024	20	#4,948
2023	15	#6,039
2022	24	#4,351
2021	17	#5,420
2020	19	#4,925
2019	14	#6,216
2018	10	#7,810
2017	12	#6,849
2016	8	#9,168
2015	15	#5,833
2014	9	#8,390
2013	15	#5,766
2012	11	#7,228
2011	11	#7,173
2010	–	–
2009	7	#10,249
2008	–	–
2007	5	#13,061
2006	11	#7,112
2005	8	#8,582
2004	–	–
2003	6	#10,044
2002	6	#9,837
2001	–	–
2000	–	–
1995	–	–
1990	8	#6,054
1985	5	#6,945
1980	–	–
1975	–	–
1970	–	–
1965	–	–
1960	–	–
1955	7	#3,322
1950	10	#2,501
1945	6	#3,146
1940	12	#2,128
1935	7	#3,098
1930	16	#1,923
1925	10	#2,839
1920	17	#1,997
1915	15	#1,919
1910	–	–
1905	–	–
1900	–	–
1895	–	–
1890	–	–
1885	–	–
1880	–	–

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Hughes?

The median living Hughes is about 16 years old. Half of all living Hughess are between 5 and 59 years old.

How many people named Hughes are alive today?

An estimated 400 people named Hughes are alive in the United States, based on 919 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Hughes mean?

Hughes is a given name. Notable people with the name include:Hughes Cleaver (1892–1980), Canadian politician Hughes Eng, Canadian community activist Hughes Rudd (1921–1992), American television journalist and news correspondent Hu

How popular is the name Hughes in 2025?

Hughes ranked #4,309 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 24 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Hughes?

919 babies have been named Hughes in the United States since 1896, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Hughes most popular?

Hughes peaked in 1916, when 61 newborns received the name.

Is Hughes a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Hughes rising or falling?

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

Will Hughes become more popular?

Hughes is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 33 boys named Hughes in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Hughes

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

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