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Hugh Family History

Hugh Surname Meaning

English Welsh and Scottish (of Norman origin): from the Old French personal name Hue from ancient Germanic Hugo (ultimately derived from hugi- ‘mind, spirit’). This was a very popular name in England after the Norman Conquest partly due to the reputation of Saint Hugh of Lincoln (1140–1200) who was born in Burgundy and who established the first Carthusian monastery in England.

Scottish and Irish: adopted as an Anglicized form of the Gaelic personal name Aodh, a derivative of a Gaelic word meaning ‘fire’. See Hughes.

Chinese: variant Romanization of the surnames 邱 and 丘 based on their Hakka pronunciation; see Qiu.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Hugh family from?

You can see how Hugh families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Hugh family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Hugh families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 142 Hugh families living in Lancashire. This was about 14% of all the recorded Hugh's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Hugh families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Hugh surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Hugh ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Farmer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Hugh. 13% of Hugh men worked as a Farmer and 68% of Hugh women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Hugh were Farm Labourer and Private Means.

View Census Data for Hugh | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • Farmer
    13%
  • Joiner
    10%
  • Incapacitated
    10%
  • Farm Labourer
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    68%
  • Domestic Duties
    5%
  • Incapacitated
    4%
  • Private Means
    4%

What Hugh family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 84,000 census records available for the last name Hugh. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Hugh census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Hugh

Passenger Lists

There are 16,000 immigration records available for the last name Hugh. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Hugh immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 9,000 military records available for the last name Hugh. For the veterans among your Hugh ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Hugh military records

You've only scratched the surface of Hugh family history

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What is the average Hugh lifespan?

Between 1955 and 2004, in the United States, Hugh life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1955, and highest in 1986. The average life expectancy for Hugh in 1955 was 40, and 66 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Hugh

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Hugh ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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