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

Hugo, 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 Hugo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hugo in America

Hugo is the 10603rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hugo surname appeared 3,020 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 Hugo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hugo 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 Hugo

The surname HUGO has its origins in the Germanic personal name "Hugo", derived from the Old German word "hug" meaning "heart, mind, or soul". This name was brought to England by the Normans after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname HUGO can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Hugo" and "Hugun". This suggests that the name was already in use in England by the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the HUGO surname was primarily found in the counties of Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Berkshire in southern England. The name was also present in parts of northern France, particularly in the region of Normandy.

In the 13th century, records show a Robert Hugo, a landowner in Oxfordshire, England. Another notable bearer of the HUGO surname was John Hugo, a member of the English Parliament in the 15th century.

One of the most famous individuals with the HUGO surname was Victor Hugo (1802-1885), the renowned French novelist, poet, and playwright. His works, such as "Les Misérables" and "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame", have become literary classics.

In the 16th century, the HUGO surname was found in various spellings, including "Hughe", "Hugon", and "Huggon". This variation in spelling was common during this period due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

Another notable figure with the HUGO surname was Franciscus Hugo (1637-1701), a Dutch jurist and philosopher. He made significant contributions to the development of natural law theory and was a prominent figure in the Dutch Golden Age.

The 17th century saw the emergence of the HUGO surname in the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances was Richard Hugo, who settled in Virginia in 1635.

By the 18th century, the HUGO surname had spread across Europe and the Americas. One notable bearer was Joseph Hugo (1700-1768), a French architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Paris.

Throughout history, the HUGO surname has been associated with individuals from various fields, including literature, law, architecture, and politics. Its origins can be traced back to the Old German word "hug", reflecting the name's connection to the concepts of heart, mind, and soul.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hugo

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

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

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

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