Hugh

Did you know?

A few things about Hugh you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Hugh

Hugh Grant

British actor

Choose Hugh and your child shares a first name with Hugh Grant, a British actor. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Hugh, like who?” Hugh Grant's Wikipedia article is available in 85 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Hugh Grant on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Kurt Kulac, CC BY-SA 3.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 4,744 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Hugh, 360 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Hugh would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryHugh has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Hughs, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1887, when it ranked #69. Today it's #732, so it could be due a comeback.
• 📈Then vs nowHugh is 2.4× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 11,481 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 4,744.
• 📍Where it's lovedHugh is most popular in Massachusetts, where it ranks #347, followed by Alabama (#422) and Iowa (#493). It's in the top 1,000 in 25 states.
• 💬MeaningIn Germanic, Hugh means “heart, mind”. Our records link it to English, French and German roots.

About the name Hugh

Hugh is a boy name of English, French and German origin meaning “heart, mind”. It has 4 letters and 1 syllable, starting with H and ending in “-ugh”. US birth records list Hugh for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1887, when it ranked #69 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #732, with 360 babies.

Origin:English namesFrench namesGerman names