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

McHugh, 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 McHugh surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McHugh in America

McHugh is the 1962nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McHugh surname appeared 18,422 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname McHugh.

We can also compare 2010 data for McHugh 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 McHugh

The surname McHugh is of Irish origin, originating in the 16th century or earlier. It is an anglicized form of the Gaelic name Mac Aodha, which means "son of Aodh" or "son of Hugh". The personal name Aodh is derived from the Old Irish name Áed, meaning "fire" or "fiery one".

McHugh is a common surname found throughout Ireland, particularly in Ulster and Connacht. It is also found in various areas of Scotland, where Irish settlers migrated over the centuries. The earliest recorded spelling variations include McHughe, McHewghe, and McUghe.

One of the earliest recorded references to the surname McHugh can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. The annals mention several individuals with the surname, including Aodh Ruadh Mac Aodha, who died in 1537.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the McHugh clan was prominent in County Sligo, where they held lands and were considered a sept (branch) of the O'Conor clan. Noteworthy individuals from this period include Cathal Óg Mac Aodha (c. 1550-1628), a celebrated Irish poet and historian.

During the Plantation of Ulster in the early 17th century, many McHughs were displaced from their traditional lands. Some migrated to other parts of Ireland, while others settled in Scotland or emigrated to the Americas and other regions.

Notable McHughs throughout history include:

1. Patrick McHugh (1776-1827), an Irish-American merchant and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.
2. John McHugh (1832-1904), an Irish-born American politician who served as Mayor of Boston from 1889 to 1891.
3. Victor McHugh (1861-1928), an Irish-born American actor and playwright, known for his work on the vaudeville stage.
4. Caleb McHugh (1732-1807), an Irish-born American soldier who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.
5. James McHugh (1882-1964), an American labor leader and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from New York.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McHugh

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

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

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

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