UK boy's name
Hugo
A masculine name of Germanic origin meaning "bright in mind and spirit".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Hugo is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Hugo popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #46, with 1,094 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2019, with 1,329 births.
This profile covers 18,779 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 82% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 19,603 living people in the UK are called Hugo. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Hugo ranked #46 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 1,094 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2019, when 1,329 boys were registered as Hugo.
- • Hugo ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #81 in 2024.
- • About 19,603 living people in the UK are estimated to have Hugo as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#46
2024
Births in 2024
1,094
Latest year
Peak year
2019
1,329 births
Estimated living
19,603
2026
Meaning
What does Hugo mean?
The name Hugo has its origins in the Germanic languages, derived from the Old German word "hug" meaning "heart, mind, or soul." It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 8th or 9th century.
The name's earliest recorded use can be traced back to the Frankish and Carolingian dynasties in what is now present-day France and Germany. One of the most notable historical figures with this name was Hugo Capet, who was crowned as the first King of France in 987, establishing the Capetian dynasty that would rule until the French Revolution.
In medieval literature, the name appears in various chronicles and tales, such as the Nibelungenlied, an epic poem from around the 13th century, where Hugo is mentioned as a brave warrior and nobleman.
Moving forward in history, Hugo Grotius (1583-1645) was a Dutch jurist, philosopher, and theologian, renowned for his work in laying the foundations of modern international law. His seminal work, "On the Law of War and Peace," published in 1625, is considered a landmark in legal studies.
Another prominent figure was Victor Hugo (1802-1885), the celebrated French poet, novelist, and dramatist. He is best known for his literary masterpieces, including "Les Misérables" and "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame." His works had a profound impact on French literature and culture, and he is regarded as one of the greatest writers of the Romantic era.
In the realm of science, Hugo de Vries (1848-1935), a Dutch botanist and geneticist, made significant contributions to the understanding of heredity and the laws of genetics. He is credited with rediscovering Gregor Mendel's principles of heredity and is considered one of the pioneers of modern genetics.
Lastly, Hugo Chávez (1954-2013) was a Venezuelan politician and military officer who served as the President of Venezuela from 1999 until his death. He was a prominent figure in Latin American politics, known for his socialist policies and his vocal opposition to American influence in the region.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Hugo over time
The chart below shows babies named Hugo registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Hugo, the clearest high point is 2019. The latest England and Wales figure is 1,094 births in 2024, compared with 1,329 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hugo by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Hugo was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #47 | 5,982 | 5 |
| 2010s | #77 | 9,670 | 10 |
| 2000s | #177 | 2,455 | 10 |
| 1990s | #197 | 672 | 4 |
Geography
Where Hugo is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Hugo. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Hugo ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #81 in 2024.
Across the UK
Hugo in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#135 in 2024
35 years of NRS records, 687 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#81 in 2024
21 years of NISRA records, 258 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Hugo
-
Hugo Travers
entrepreneur; journalist; vlogger; YouTuber; podcaster
French journalist and video blogger
1997-
-
Hugo Wilson
painter; sculptor; visual artist
English artist and sculptor (born 1982)
1982-
-
Hugo Southwell
cricketer; rugby union player
Scottish rugby union footballer (born 1980)
1980-
-
Hugo Ticciati
musician
British violinist
1980-
-
Hugo Rifkind
writer
Scottish journalist
1977-
-
Hugo Speer
actor; stage actor; film director; television actor; film actor
British actor
1969-
-
Hugo Spowers
engineer
British automotive engineer
1960-
-
Hugo Weaving
actor; stage actor; voice actor; television actor; film actor
British actor
1960-
Related
Names similar to Hugo
- Harry 141,693
- Henry 65,177
- Harrison 45,958
- Harvey 35,648
- Harley 22,095
- Hayden 12,622
- Hunter 10,350
- Hudson 9,104
- Hamza 8,564
- Hassan 5,982
- Hasan 3,599
- Harris 3,545
FAQ
Hugo: questions and answers
How popular is the name Hugo in the UK right now?
In 2024, Hugo was ranked #46 for boys in England and Wales, with 1,094 births registered.
When was Hugo most popular?
The peak year on record was 2019, with 1,329 babies registered as Hugo in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Hugo?
A masculine name of Germanic origin meaning "bright in mind and spirit".
How many people are called Hugo in the UK?
A total of 18,779 babies have been registered as Hugo across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 687 more in Scotland and 258 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Hugo most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Hugo ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #81 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.