Hughes is used as a family name or surname in Wales, Ireland, France. It is 6 characters long in length.

Family Name / Last Name: Hughes
No. of characters: 6
Origin: Wales, Ireland, France
Meaning:

HugoFrom Hugh, the personal name. See - The Anglo-Noman Christian name, whence Huggins, Higgins, Huggett, etc. It is very common in Domesday.

Hughes is a variant form of Hewes. A mis-spelling of Hughes. In the great Scottish family of Dalrymple the Christian name Hugh has generally been spelt Hew.

Family name Hughes is a variant of the Hewes. The son of Hew, a variant of Hugh meaning "spirit"; one who was servant to another.

The son of Hugh meaning "spirit".

The form of Hose. HosierThe garment. See - Camden explains Chaucer by Hosier. The hosier of modern times sells stockings and other soft 'under clothing.' Two hundred years ago, the hosiers of London were those tailors who sold ready made clothes (qui rendent des habits d'hommes tous faits. Cotgr.); but the original hosier was he who encased the "nether man" in leather: "The chaussure commonly used in England, when surnames were first adopted by the commonalty, was of leather, covered both the foot and leg, and was called hose. Hosier, therefore, is the same with Chaucier, which comes from the Lat. culccarius, and differs but little in meaning from another word used to denote the man who followed this employment, viz., Sutor, Sowter, or Souter, which was in use in English from the time of Chaucer to that of Beaumont and Fletcher. It is still preserved in Scotland, and has become a surname in both countries." Edinburgh Review, April 1855.

Surname Hughes is form of the Hugh. This Norman Christian name, though of rare occurrence in its simple form, has furnished a host of derivatives, some of which would hardly be supposed to be of such origin. Who at first sight would take the five surnames, Fitzhugh, Pugh, Mackay, Hoey, and Huson, to be identical in meaning? Yet this is the case; for Fitzhugh is the Anglo-Norman rendering of 'Filius Hugonis,' the son of Hugh; Pugh is a contraction of Welsh Ap-Hugh, the son of Hugh; Mackay, of the Gaelic Mac-Aiodh, the son of Hugh; Hoey is the same name deprived of its Mac; and Huson is clearly Hughson, the son of Hugh. Huggins, Higgins, Hutchins, Hitchins, Hutchinson, Hugginson, Hewet, Hewetson, Howitt, Howis, Howison, Huggett, Hoggins, as well as Hughes, Hughson, Hewson, and probably many other names, are diminutives and patronymics of Hugh, the soft, and of Hugo, the hard, form. See .

How popular is Hughes?

Hughes is common in United States, England, Wales, Australia, Canada, Ireland, Scotland, Sierra Leone, Northern Ireland, South Africa, New Zealand, Argentina, Thailand, France, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Jamaica, Germany, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominican Republic, Brazil, Guyana, Anguilla, Mexico, Panama, Netherlands, Trinidad and Tobago, Bahrain, Japan, Chile, Nigeria, Isle of Man, Samoa, Philippines, Fiji, Sweden, Switzerland, United States Virgin Islands, Uruguay, Portugal, Denmark, Jersey, Malaysia, Belgium.

Hughes is ranked 920 on our list.

Despite the fact that the number of Hughes bearers increased by 3 per cent in 2010 US census to 236271 since 2000, the surname slipped by 7 spots and ranked at 90. The last name was found in around 8 per ten thousand population. Please refer to following table for race and ethnicity.

Race 2010 2000
White 78.39 80.6
Black 16.13 15.45
Hispanic or Latino 2.47 1.58
Others 1.97 1.46
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.53 0.52
Asian and Native Hawaiian
& Other Pacific Islander		 0.5 0.39
Hughes is quite popular family name mostly used in United States however Anguilla lie ahead in terms of density. Around 575887 people have been found who wears Hughes as their family name. Hughes is used widely across the globe. More detailed information can be found below:
RankCountryCount
Countries with hundred thousands of Hughes:
79 United States304,491
30 England116,131
Countries with ten thousands of Hughes:
8 Wales37,076
59 Australia36,247
165 Canada21,019
57 Ireland11,092
Countries with thousands of Hughes:
68 Scotland9,943
153 Sierra Leone8,757
20 Northern Ireland6,445
1,215 South Africa5,564
60 New Zealand5,033
3,163 Argentina1,129
8,602 Thailand1,053
9,116 France1,005
Countries with hundreds of Hughes:
5,318 Spain805
5,622 Saudi Arabia795
651 Jamaica590
19,753 Germany482
36 Antigua and Barbuda416
1,634 Dominican Republic393
21,982 Brazil363
387 Guyana354
8 Anguilla344
8,050 Mexico303
1,118 Panama268
11,373 Netherlands254
862 Trinidad and Tobago252
963 Bahrain250
14,629 Japan249
2,934 Chile246
36,138 Nigeria218
28 Isle of Man214
301 Samoa203
60,758 Philippines191
899 Fiji189
4,208 Sweden181
6,376 Switzerland174
89 United States Virgin Islands160
2,596 Uruguay153
3,598 Portugal151
4,009 Denmark147
70 Jersey135
12,837 Malaysia133
16,775 Belgium102
Countries with low frequency i.e., 50 - 100:
19,667 Zimbabwe99
57,010 Italy97
11,162 Israel89
8,352 Norway88
22,476 Greece82
128 Guernsey81
142 Saint Kitts and Nevis79
1,446 Cyprus71
11,485 United Arab Emirates67
8,424 Ecuador65
11,427 Ghana60
2,364 Hong Kong58
6,407 Liberia58
594 Barbados55
1,408 China53
149,807 Indonesia52
2,716 Suriname51
Countries with very low frequency i.e., 10 - 50:
1,659 Costa Rica50
551 Malta48
273 Bermuda39
291,059 India39
13,684 Finland37
12,381 Iraq37
205 Gibraltar35
11,607 Botswana33
3,875 Luxembourg33
449 Aruba32
34,646 Pakistan32
9,235 Estonia27
36,002 Austria26
46,580 Czechia26
29,593 Hungary22
212 British Virgin Islands21
283,555 Russia19
6,317 Solomon Islands18
2,631 El Salvador17
13,856 Singapore17
1,827 Belize16
16,023 Qatar16
641 South Korea15
15,575 Afghanistan14
775 Grenada12
74 Saint Martin12
28,211 Venezuela12
83,447 Papua New Guinea11
126,214 Poland11
1,328 Saint Lucia11
57,527 Slovakia11
Countries with very very low frequency i.e., 6 - 10:
126,629 Turkey10
93,934 Uganda10
2,710 Vietnam10
820 Cayman Islands9
714 Vanuatu9
3,029 Guam8
17,989 Taiwan8
62,289 Egypt7
70,659 Tanzania7
1,961 American Samoa6
848 Bahamas6
34,188 Zambia6
Show Full Last Name Distribution

Immigrants to US

From Ireland

Bridget Hughes worked as spinster and hailed from Ireland. During the great famine, 21 years old embarked for USA from Liverpool on Atlas and arrived on May 11, 1846. Edward Hughes (33) Immigrant, Jane Hughes (21) Immigrant, Infant Jane Hughes, 22 years old John Hughes, Immigrant Mary Hughes, Mary-Anne Hughes, aged 19, Eduard Hughes, aged 20, Anne Hughes (20) , and 1917 other Hughes around 49.75% of whom were workman while others worked as stone cutter and farmer, servant, painter, mason, butcher, shoemaker, carpenter, weaver, mechanic, grocer, merchant, seamstress, tailoress, barrel maker/ cooper, dressmaker, clerk, miller, house keeper, miner, servant, joiner, bricklayer, baker, laundry man/ ironer, bookseller, matron, farmers &, mechanics, laborers migrated to US.

From Germany

24 years old farmer William Hughes who was residing in Germany migrated to United States on January 9, 1868 by City Of Washington put out from Liverpool. Marian Hughes, Patrick Hughes, aged 20, Hugh Hughes, aged 59, 21 years old Vriat Hughes, 21 years old Christopher Hughes, U Hughes, Catharina Hughes, aged 30, Laborer John Hughes, Xaver Hughes (34) Miner, and 10 other Hughes around 47.06% of whom were laborer migrated to US from Bremen & Southampton, Liverpool & Queenstown, Christiansand and Kiel & Swinemunde.

Hughes Namesakes

  • John Ceiriog Hughes, Welsh poet and a well-known collector of Welsh folk tunes
  • Billy Hughes, Australian politician
  • Brian G. Hughes, US businessman and practical joker
  • Emmet John Hughes, foreign bureau chief for and article editor for Time-Life and an aide and speechwriter for U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower
  • Josephine Brawley Hughes, advocate of women's rights
  • Lindsey Hughes, British historian
  • Aidan Hughes, commercial artist
  • Susan Hughes, Canadian author of children's books
  • Rhetta Hughes, retired American soul singer and musical theatre and occasional screen actress
  • Raymond Davies Hughes, Welsh RAF airman
  • Robert S. Hughes, third president of Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works
  • Hugh Iorys Hughes, Welsh civil engineer and keen yachtsman
  • Richard E. Hughes, American writer and editor of comic books
  • Joshua Hughes, was Bishop of St Asaph, an Anglican diocese
  • George Wurtz Hughes, U.S. Representative
  • Edward Robert Hughes, English painter
  • Edwin Holt Hughes, American bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church
  • Thomas P. Hughes, American historian of technology
  • Emrys Hughes, Welsh Labour politician, journalist and author
  • H. Stuart Hughes, American historian, professor, and activist
  • Elizabeth Phillips Hughes, Welsh scholar, teacher
  • Richard Cyril Hughes, Welsh historian
  • Owain Arwel Hughes, Welsh orchestral conductor
  • Arwel Hughes, Welsh orchestral conductor and composer
  • Thomas McKenny Hughes, Welsh geologist
  • Séamus Hughes, Irish District Court judge and former Fianna Fáil politician
  • Selwyn Hughes, Welsh Christian minister best
  • Spike Hughes, British jazz musician
  • Marvalene Hughes, served as the president of Dillard University
  • Allen Hughes, American dance and music critic
  • Hector Hughes, Scottish Labour Party politician
  • Walter Hughes, pastoralist
  • Robert Roland Hughes, British neurologist and pioneer of Electroencephalography and neurology
  • Vern Hughes, Australian advocate for civil society and Anglican layman
  • Hughie Hughes, British racecar driver
  • Neville Hughes, (1 June 1945 – 28 June 2015
  • E. J. Hughes, Canadian artist
  • Leon Hughes, Leon Hughes, Sr
  • R. Kent Hughes, was Senior Pastor Emeritus of College Church
  • Dean Hughes, author of historical novels and children's books
  • Davis Hughes, Australian politician and bureaucrat
  • John Chambers Hughes, American diplomat and the United States Permanent Representative to NATO
  • Alfred Hughes, British sailor
  • Arthur Wellesley Hughes, Canadian musician and composer
  • Thomas Rowland Hughes, Welsh novelist
  • James Madison Hughes, U.S. Representative from Missouri
  • Adella Prentiss Hughes, pianist and impresario based in Cleveland Ohio
  • Helen Hughes, Australian economist
  • Thomas J.R. Hughes, Professor of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics and currently holds the Computational and Applied Mathematics Chair III
  • Charles Evans Hughes, Charles Evans Hughes Sr
  • Howard Hughes, Howard Robard Hughes Jr

Hughes Namesakes

  • John Ceiriog Hughes, Welsh poet and a well-known collector of Welsh folk tunes
  • Billy Hughes, Australian politician
  • Brian G. Hughes, US businessman and practical joker
  • Emmet John Hughes, foreign bureau chief for and article editor for Time-Life and an aide and speechwriter for U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower
  • Josephine Brawley Hughes, advocate of women's rights
  • Lindsey Hughes, British historian
  • Aidan Hughes, commercial artist
  • Susan Hughes, Canadian author of children's books
  • Rhetta Hughes, retired American soul singer and musical theatre and occasional screen actress
  • Raymond Davies Hughes, Welsh RAF airman
  • Robert S. Hughes, third president of Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works
  • Hugh Iorys Hughes, Welsh civil engineer and keen yachtsman
  • Richard E. Hughes, American writer and editor of comic books
  • Joshua Hughes, was Bishop of St Asaph, an Anglican diocese
  • George Wurtz Hughes, U.S. Representative
  • Edward Robert Hughes, English painter
  • Edwin Holt Hughes, American bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church
  • Thomas P. Hughes, American historian of technology
  • Emrys Hughes, Welsh Labour politician, journalist and author
  • H. Stuart Hughes, American historian, professor, and activist
  • Elizabeth Phillips Hughes, Welsh scholar, teacher
  • Richard Cyril Hughes, Welsh historian
  • Owain Arwel Hughes, Welsh orchestral conductor
  • Arwel Hughes, Welsh orchestral conductor and composer
  • Thomas McKenny Hughes, Welsh geologist
  • Séamus Hughes, Irish District Court judge and former Fianna Fáil politician
  • Selwyn Hughes, Welsh Christian minister best
  • Spike Hughes, British jazz musician
  • Marvalene Hughes, served as the president of Dillard University
  • Allen Hughes, American dance and music critic
  • Hector Hughes, Scottish Labour Party politician
  • Walter Hughes, pastoralist
  • Robert Roland Hughes, British neurologist and pioneer of Electroencephalography and neurology
  • Vern Hughes, Australian advocate for civil society and Anglican layman
  • Hughie Hughes, British racecar driver
  • Neville Hughes, (1 June 1945 – 28 June 2015
  • E. J. Hughes, Canadian artist
  • Leon Hughes, Leon Hughes, Sr
  • R. Kent Hughes, was Senior Pastor Emeritus of College Church
  • Dean Hughes, author of historical novels and children's books
  • Davis Hughes, Australian politician and bureaucrat
  • John Chambers Hughes, American diplomat and the United States Permanent Representative to NATO
  • Alfred Hughes, British sailor
  • Arthur Wellesley Hughes, Canadian musician and composer
  • Thomas Rowland Hughes, Welsh novelist
  • James Madison Hughes, U.S. Representative from Missouri
  • Adella Prentiss Hughes, pianist and impresario based in Cleveland Ohio
  • Helen Hughes, Australian economist
  • Thomas J.R. Hughes, Professor of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics and currently holds the Computational and Applied Mathematics Chair III
  • Charles Evans Hughes, Charles Evans Hughes Sr
  • Howard Hughes, Howard Robard Hughes Jr

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