Boys' name · peaked in 1887
Hugh name popularity since 1925
59,522 babies born in the US from 1925 to 2025 were named Hugh. Half of them were born in 1950 or earlier, so the typical Hugh is about 76 years old in 2026. Hugh peaked in 1887 as the #69 name for boys, and it ranked #732 in 2025.
Key facts
- US babies since 1925
- 59,522
- Named Hugh, 1925–2025
- Peak year
- 1887
- #69 for boys that year
- In 2025
- #732
- for boys in 2025 (360 babies)
- Girls / boys
- 99.7% boys
- 202 girls · 59,320 boys
- Most popular in
- Georgia
- 2.42× its national share
Peak year is the year Hugh made up the largest share of US boys, in records going back to 1880. Typical age is based on births from 1925 on, not on who is living today.
Hugh births per year, 1925–2025
The biggest year on this chart was 1926. Measured as a share of all babies, Hugh peaked earlier, in 1887.
- Steepest fall: Between 1971 and 1976, Hugh's share of baby boys fell by 37%, from 1 in 4,070 to 1 in 6,480.
Shaded on the chart. This compares Hugh's share of all US boys five years apart, counting only years with at least 100 babies named Hugh.
Decade by decade
Babies named Hugh in each decade, and its rank among boys' names in the middle year of the decade (1935, 1945 … 2025).
| Decade | Girls | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1925–29 | 68 | 6,738 | – |
| 1930s | 79 | 11,700 | #139 |
| 1940s | 21 | 10,998 | #171 |
| 1950s | 20 | 9,697 | #236 |
| 1960s | 9 | 6,783 | #293 |
| 1970s | 0 | 3,177 | #478 |
| 1980s | 5 | 2,075 | #587 |
| 1990s | 0 | 1,791 | #807 |
| 2000s | 0 | 1,887 | #961 |
| 2010s | 0 | 2,479 | #848 |
| 2020–25 | 0 | 1,995 | #732 |
Ranks count every name given to at least 5 boys that year, so they can go past 1,000.
Generation fingerprint
35.4% of babies named Hugh from 1925 to 2025 were born in the Silent Generation years (1928–1945). The full split by generation:
Where Hugh is most popular
The index compares Hugh's share of babies in each state with its share nationwide, 1925–2025 (1.50× = 50% more common). States with at least 300 babies named Hugh.
| State | Index | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 2.42× | 3,729 |
| Mississippi | 2.40× | 1,621 |
| Tennessee | 2.36× | 2,765 |
| Alabama | 2.16× | 2,133 |
| South Carolina | 1.81× | 1,410 |
Names with a similar story
Of the other 1999 names on this site, these six had the share of babies closest in shape to Hugh's from 1925 to 2025, however common each one got. Each line is scaled to its own high; the dashed line is Hugh.
Names from the same era
Other common names that peaked within two years of Hugh (1887).
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration national and state baby-name data, which covers names given to at least 5 babies of one sex in a year. About the data