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

McHugo, 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 McHugo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McHugo in America

McHugo is the 138304th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McHugo surname appeared 121 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 McHugo.

The history of the last name McHugo

The surname McHugo originated in Scotland, with the earliest recorded examples dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name "Hugo," which is thought to have been borrowed from the Old French "Hugon" or the Old German "Hugi," both meaning "heart, mind, or spirit."

The prefix "Mc" or "Mac" is a Gaelic patronymic, meaning "son of." Thus, McHugo would have originally referred to the son of a man named Hugo. The name may have been adopted by families or clans in the Scottish Highlands, where Gaelic naming traditions were particularly strong.

While there are no definitive records of the name's appearance in historical manuscripts such as the Domesday Book, it is likely that early bearers of the name were of Scottish origin. The earliest known individual with the surname was Gillebride McHugo, who was recorded in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1264.

Over the centuries, the name has appeared with various spellings, including McHugho, McHughie, and McUgo, reflecting regional dialects and scribal variations. It is also possible that the name may have been influenced by or conflated with other Scottish surnames derived from similar personal names, such as Hugh or Huie.

Notable individuals with the surname McHugo throughout history include:

1. Archibald McHugo (c. 1580-1645), a Scottish landowner and political figure during the reign of King Charles I.
2. Isobel McHugo (c. 1620-1685), a Scottish woman who was tried and acquitted of witchcraft during the infamous North Berwick Witch Trials.
3. Duncan McHugo (c. 1720-1790), a Scottish soldier who fought in the Jacobite Uprising of 1745 and later settled in North Carolina, where he became a prominent landowner.
4. Angus McHugo (1815-1889), a Scottish-born author and poet who emigrated to Canada and wrote extensively about the country's natural landscapes and indigenous cultures.
5. Margaret McHugo (1869-1944), an Irish-born nurse who served in World War I and was awarded the Royal Red Cross for her bravery and dedication to caring for wounded soldiers.

While the surname McHugo is not particularly common today, it has a rich history rooted in the Scottish Highlands and serves as a testament to the enduring legacy of Gaelic naming traditions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McHugo

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

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 McHugo 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.

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

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

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