Hugh comes from the Germanic word hug and means "heart", "mind" or "spirit". The Normans brought it to England, where it was a favorite of the medieval nobility, and Hugh Capet founded the French royal dynasty that ruled for more than 800 years. In the United States Hugh is a quiet classic that has been rising gently: number 909 in 2000, back in the top 1000 since 2009 and at number 732 in 2025, its best rank in this century.