boy's name
Hugo
HYOO-goh
- Origin Germanic
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 100 (E&W)
- Births on record 223,722
the United States
#377
2025 births
Hugo is a boy's name of Germanic origin meaning "mind" or "spirit." It comes from the element hug, meaning heart, mind or intellect, and is the Latin form of Hugh used across most of Europe.
- Hugo is a name of Germanic origin.
- Peaked in France in 2000, when 7,695 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 482 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1900.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Hugo over time
Births per decade in France, 1900s to 2020s. Hugo is more popular in England and Wales — see the country table below. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 130 |
| 1910s | 80 |
| 1920s | 75 |
| 1930s | 75 |
| 1940s | 65 |
| 1950s | 85 |
| 1960s | 200 |
| 1970s | 1,250 |
| 1980s | 5,390 |
| 1990s | 32,160 |
| 2000s | 59,700 |
| 2010s | 43,460 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 13,815 |
What Hugo means
Hugo means mind, thought or spirit. The Germanic root covers the inner faculties together — heart and intellect were not separated the way modern English separates them.
Where Hugo comes from
Hugo is the Latinised form of the Germanic Hugo or Hugh, from hug, meaning mind, heart or spirit. It was carried by the Frankish and later Capetian nobility — Hugh Capet, king of the Franks from 987, founded the dynasty that ruled France for eight centuries. The Normans brought Hugh to England, where the Latin Hugo appeared in documents while Hugh was spoken. In Norse mythology Odin's two ravens are Huginn and Muninn, thought and memory, from the same root. Victor Hugo gave the name its best-known modern bearer.
Hugo in use
Our data shows Hugo stable rather than rising, peaking in 2000, at 46 in England and Wales against 377 in the United States. It is one of the few names we have written up used at similar levels across France, Spain, Sweden and Britain — most British top-50 names are far more locally concentrated.
How popular is Hugo?
In 2025, Hugo was given to 1,094 babies in England and Wales, ranking #46 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Where Hugo is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Hugo
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Hugo also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Hugo over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Hugo
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Hugo in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Hugo
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Hugo — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Hugo
What does the name Hugo mean?
Hugo means "mind" or "spirit," from the Germanic hug, meaning heart, mind or intellect.
Are Hugo and Hugh the same name?
Yes. Hugo is the Latin form that appeared in documents while Hugh was the spoken English one.
Is Hugo related to Odin's ravens?
The root is shared. Huginn, thought, comes from the same Germanic hug — though the raven is not the source of the name.
How popular is the name Hugo?
In 2025, Hugo was given to 1,094 babies in England and Wales, ranking #46 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Is Hugo a girl's or a boy's name?
Hugo is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Hugo?
Hugo has 2 syllables.
When was Hugo most popular?
Hugo peaked in 2000, when 7,695 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Hugo?
Hugo is usually shortened to Hue and Hugh.
Is Hugo a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Hugo currently ranks #25 in France. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.