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

Hughes, 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 Hughes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hughes in America

Hughes is the 16147th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hughes surname appeared 1,792 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Hughes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hughes 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 Hughes

The surname Hughs has its origins in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It is a patronymic name derived from the personal name Hugh, which itself is derived from the Old German word "hug" meaning heart, mind, or soul. This name was introduced to Britain by the Normans after their conquest in 1066.

The earliest recorded instance of the Hughs surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Hughe" and "Hugges". This record suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the Hughs family held lands and estates in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, Gloucestershire, and Oxfordshire. One notable member of the family was Sir Hugh Hughs, a knight who fought alongside King Edward III in the Battle of Crécy during the Hundred Years' War in 1346.

In the 16th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, including Hughes, Hewes, and Hughse. One prominent individual with this name was John Hughes (1522-1600), an Anglican clergyman and scholar who served as the Bishop of St. Asaph in Wales.

The 17th century saw the rise of several notable individuals bearing the Hughs surname, such as Robert Hughes (1592-1658), a Welsh clergyman and author who wrote extensively on religious subjects. Another significant figure was Edward Hughes (1638-1719), a Welsh mathematician and geographer who made important contributions to the study of longitude and navigation.

As the centuries progressed, the Hughs family continued to make their mark in various fields. Some noteworthy individuals include John Hughes (1797-1864), an English poet and essayist, and Thomas Hughes (1822-1896), an English lawyer and author best known for his novel "Tom Brown's Schooldays".

It is worth mentioning that the Hughs surname has also been associated with various place names throughout history, such as Hughesfield in Buckinghamshire and Hughe's Mill in Oxfordshire. These place names serve as a reminder of the family's long-standing presence and influence in different regions of England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hughes

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

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 Hughes 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 Hughes 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 Hughes was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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