Hugo is a boy name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Hugo means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Hugo across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Hugo has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Hugo is a boy name of Germanic origin meaning “mind, spirit”. The Latinized form of Hugh.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 37,518 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 18,548 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 731 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 258 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 1,687 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 1,244 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Hugo per year, England & Wales (1996 to 2025). England & Wales peaked in 2019 (1,329/yr) · United States peaked in 2025 (837/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2022 (120/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2022 (48/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2023 (36/yr).
Hugo has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 2025, when it ranked #755 nationally (given to 2,092 babies that year).
Not sure if it's the one? The best way to know is to see if your partner loves it too. Swipe baby names with your partner and match on the ones you both ❤️, free, no account needed to start.
Find your name together →