NameCensus.

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

Hugo
03326659971K199620102024

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.

Scotland
36
Northern Ireland
29

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

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.