Hub
A shortened form of the name Hubert, which is Germanic and means "bright mind."
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Hub. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Hub today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hub births was 1912 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hub. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Hub. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1912
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1912 SSA rank
#2,704
Tracked since 1912
Popularity
Hub: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Hub by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Hub during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Hub
The name Hub is an unusual given name that has its origins in the Dutch language. It is believed to have derived from the Middle Dutch word "hubbe," which meant "hump" or "rounded hill." The name was likely given to individuals born or residing in areas with hilly or undulating terrain.
In the early modern period, the name Hub appeared sporadically in records from the Low Countries, particularly in the Netherlands and parts of modern-day Belgium. One of the earliest documented instances of the name can be found in the birth records of a Hub van Dijk, born in the city of Leiden in 1632.
Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the name remained relatively obscure, with only a handful of notable individuals bearing it. One such person was Hub van Werkhoven, a Dutch painter active in the late 17th century, known for his landscapes and still-life works.
As the Dutch Republic expanded its global reach through trade and colonization, the name Hub also found its way to other parts of the world. In the 18th century, a Hub Hubbard was recorded as one of the early settlers in the British colony of Virginia, arriving from the Netherlands in 1723.
In the 19th century, the name gained some prominence in German-speaking regions, possibly due to its similarity to the German word "Hubbe," meaning "little hill." One notable figure was Hub Lorenz, a German artist born in 1843, renowned for his paintings depicting scenes from the Black Forest region.
Another individual of note was Hub van Doorne, a Dutch-born explorer and adventurer who traveled extensively in Africa in the late 19th century. Born in 1858, he is credited with mapping several previously uncharted regions in present-day Tanzania and Mozambique.
As the 20th century dawned, the name Hub remained relatively uncommon, but a few individuals managed to make their mark. Hub Bussgang, born in 1902 in the United States, was a successful businessman and philanthropist known for his support of educational institutions and cultural organizations.
It is worth noting that while the name Hub has a rich historical background, it has never achieved widespread popularity as a given name. Its usage has remained relatively niche, primarily confined to certain regions and cultural contexts.
People
Hub + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hub as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with H
Other first names starting with H with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Hub: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hub?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hub going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about - US residents.
Is Hub a common name?
We classify Hub as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hub most popular?
The single biggest year for Hub was 1912, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hub is about 0 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Hub in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Hub a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Hub in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Hub still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Hub in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Hub can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Hub?
Find out how many people share the name Hub on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.