Explore the Family Name Hugh
The meaning of Hugh
1. English, Welsh, and Scottish (of Norman origin): from the Old French personal name Hue, from ancient Germanic Hugo (ultimately derived from hugi- ‘mind, spirit’). This was a very popular name in England after the Norman Conquest, partly due to the reputation of Saint Hugh of Lincoln (1140–1200), who was born in Burgundy and who established the first Carthusian monastery in England. 2. Scottish and Irish: adopted as an Anglicized form of the Gaelic personal name Aodh, a derivative of a Gaelic word meaning ‘fire’. See Hughes. 3. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surnames 邱 and 丘, based on their Hakka pronunciation; see Qiu 1 and 2.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Hugh in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Hugh underwent a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the name was ranked 19,376th but by 2010, it dropped to 20,780th, marking a decline of 7.25%. The count of individuals with the surname also diminished slightly from 1,293 in 2000 to 1,271 in 2010, a reduction of 1.7%. As a proportion per 100,000 people, the surname saw a decline of 10.42% over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #19,376 | #20,780 | -7.25% |
| Count | 1,293 | 1,271 | -1.7% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.48 | 0.43 | -10.42% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Hugh
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Hugh also changed significantly between 2000 and 2010 according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. Notably, there was a significant increase among those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, growing from 17.94% to 20.77%, and an increase among those identifying as Black, from 19.95% to 21.79%. The proportion of people with this surname who identified as White decreased notably from 55.53% to 47.84%. Interestingly, there were new appearances of Hispanic and American Indian and Alaskan Native identities, amounting to 3.3% and 0.55% respectively in 2010, which were not present in 2000. The segment identifying with two or more races saw a modest rise from 5.1% to 5.74%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 55.53% | 47.84% | -13.85% |
| Black | 19.95% | 21.79% | 9.22% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 17.94% | 20.77% | 15.77% |
| Two or More Races | 5.1% | 5.74% | 12.55% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 3.3% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.55% | 0% |