Explore the Family Name Hughes
The meaning of Hughes
1. English and Welsh: variant of Hugh with genitival or excrescent -s. 2. Irish and Scottish: adopted as an equivalent of Gaelic surnames based on the personal name Aodh ‘fire’, for example Ó hAodha, Mac Aodha; see McCoy and compare McHugh.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Hughes in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Hughes has seen a slight dip in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Hughes was the 83rd most popular surname, however, it fell seven places to the 90th spot by 2010, marking a 8.43% decrease in rank. The total count of individuals with the Hughes surname, however, saw an increase of 3.0%, jumping from 229,390 in 2000 to 236,271 in 2010. The proportion of people named Hughes per 100k people also fell by 5.8 during this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #83 | #90 | -8.43% |
| Count | 229,390 | 236,271 | 3% |
| Proportion per 100k | 85.03 | 80.1 | -5.8% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Hughes
The ethnic identity associated with the Hughes surname has somewhat diversified from 2000 to 2010 according to the Decennial U.S. Census. While the majority of individuals with the surname identified as white (78.39%), there was a small decline of 2.74% from 2000. On the other hand, those identifying as Hispanic saw the largest growth at 56.33%, albeit still making up a relatively small proportion of people with the Hughes surname at 2.47%. The proportion of Asian/Pacific Islanders and those of two or more races also saw increases, while the percentage of Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native individuals remained fairly stable.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 80.6% | 78.39% | -2.74% |
| Black | 15.45% | 16.13% | 4.4% |
| Hispanic | 1.58% | 2.47% | 56.33% |
| Two or More Races | 1.46% | 1.97% | 34.93% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.52% | 0.53% | 1.92% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.39% | 0.5% | 28.21% |
Hughes ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Hughes is British & Irish, which comprises 58.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.0%) and Eastern European (3.7%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Nigerian, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 58.6% |
| French & German | 20.0% |
| Eastern European | 3.7% |
| Other | 17.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Hughes
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Hughes have recent ancestry locations in United Kingdom and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 88.80% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 88.70% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 88.50% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 88.50% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 88.50% |
What Hughes haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Hughes is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L21 and R-S660, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Morgan, Jones, Evans, Mcdonald, Phillips, Lewis, Lloyd, Shaw, Walsh, Owens.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Hughes surname are: T2b, H1, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Hughes have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Hughes" Surname 42.7%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Hughes" Surname 26.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Hughes" Surname 23.8%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Hughes" Surname 18.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Hughes?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Hughes are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition