Hugo

Hugo - A very unique male name

Hugo appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #630. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Hugo and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Hugo? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Hugo. The baby boy name Hugo was given to 801 baby boys in 2025, ranking #382 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 1,831 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Hugo peaked in popularity 112 years ago in 1914 on position 350.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Hugo, 1-5?

Hugo is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Hugo is currently topping the baby name charts in Washington at position #197 - and is the least popular in Missouri at position #914.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Hugo is where you live.

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Hugo origin and meaning

Germanic, via Latin Hugo

From hug, 'mind, heart, spirit'

Hugo is the Latinised form of a Germanic name built on hug, 'mind, spirit' — the same root as Hugh. Borne by the writer Victor Hugo, it is a classic across Europe. In the US it was a steady early-1900s name, revived in the 2010s, and is now at its highest use ever.

Attested etymology

Hugo is a 4 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Hugo, pop culture references for the name Hugo and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Hugo

We've found the following names that sound similar to Hugo, sorted by popularity.

Hugh / Hayes / Hezekiah / Hosea / Huck / Haze / Hoke / Hosie / Hawk / Hayk /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Hugo

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Hugo a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Hugo?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

HYOO-goh · /ˈhjuːɡoʊ/

Around the world

• Hugo (French) — Used as-is in French
• Hugo (Spanish) — Used as-is in Spanish
• Hugo (German) — Used as-is in German
• Hugo (Portuguese) — Used as-is in Portuguese

Spellings and nicknames

• Hugh — The English form of the same name

Famous bearers

None yet — no bearer for this name is documented well enough for us to list, so we show none rather than pad the list.

Style

ClassicInternationalLiterary

Why parents choose it

Short, warm and bookish, with a distinguished literary namesake and effortless international use.

Worth knowing

• 'Huge-o' teasing is the one predictable schoolyard line.