Find out how popular the last name Hugh is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Hugh.

Hugh, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Hugh surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hugh in America

Hugh is the 20780th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hugh surname appeared 1,271 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Hugh.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hugh to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Hugh

The surname HUGH originated in England during the Middle Ages, derived from the Old French personal name "Hugue" or "Huon," which in turn came from the Germanic name "Hugo." This name was composed of the elements "hug" meaning "heart, mind, or spirit," and "wald" meaning "rule or power."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname HUGH can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land ownership and property values commissioned by William the Conqueror. The book lists several individuals with the name, such as Hugh of Grantmesnil and Hugh d'Avranches, who were Norman landowners in England.

During the medieval period, the name HUGH was particularly prevalent in the counties of Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, and Yorkshire. It is believed that some early bearers of the name may have taken it from local place names, such as Hugh Town on the Isles of Scilly or Hugh-upon-Stour in Worcestershire.

Notable historical figures with the surname HUGH include Hugh Capet (c. 938-996), who was the first King of France from the Capetian dynasty. Another prominent bearer of the name was Hugh of Lincoln (c. 1246-1255), a young boy whose death was falsely attributed to Jews, leading to increased persecution and the spread of the blood libel myth.

In the 13th century, Hugh of Avalon (c. 1135-1200) was a Carthusian monk who became the Bishop of Lincoln and was later canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church. Around the same time, Hugh of St. Victor (c. 1096-1141) was a renowned philosopher and theologian who made significant contributions to the development of medieval scholasticism.

Another notable figure was Hugh Latimer (c. 1485-1555), who was a leader of the English Reformation and one of the most influential Protestant martyrs. He was eventually burned at the stake for his religious beliefs during the reign of Queen Mary I.

While the surname HUGH has its origins in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through British colonization and migration. Over time, various spelling variations have emerged, such as Hughs, Hew, and Hough, but the core meaning and historical significance of the name remain rooted in its English heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hugh

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Hugh.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Hugh was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Hugh has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Hugh was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Hugh, please contact us.

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