Hugo
Boy name · #378 in 2025 · Distinctive
Hugo ranks #378 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 837 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #432, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,151 boys born in 2025 was named Hugo.
The 145-year story
Hugo first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 24 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 837 babies and a rank of #377. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Hugo per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Hugo against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Hugo in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Hugo is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Hugo is most common
Geography matters for names, and Hugo is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Hugo is most common in WA (1.3 per 1,000), NV (1.1 per 1,000), OR (1 per 1,000), MA (0.9 per 1,000), CO (0.8 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.6 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Hugo is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Hugo
Statistically, parents drawn to Hugo tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Hassan, Bo, Eliseo, Alonzo, and Dario.
HassanBoEliseoAlonzoDarioHankMosheKade
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Hugo | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 837 | #377 |
| 2024 | 799 | #404 |
| 2023 | 771 | #415 |
| 2022 | 800 | #399 |
| 2021 | 714 | #437 |
| 2020 | 709 | #421 |
| 2019 | 648 | #462 |
| 2018 | 733 | #422 |
| 2017 | 750 | #416 |
| 2016 | 724 | #430 |
| 2015 | 708 | #432 |
| 2014 | 695 | #436 |
| 2013 | 656 | #438 |
| 2012 | 639 | #433 |
| 2011 | 618 | #439 |
| 2010 | 616 | #440 |
| 2009 | 722 | #407 |
| 2008 | 779 | #388 |
| 2007 | 740 | #400 |
| 2006 | 811 | #370 |
| 2005 | 796 | #371 |
| 2004 | 759 | #366 |
| 2003 | 727 | #365 |
| 2002 | 715 | #368 |
| 2001 | 637 | #396 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Hugo a popular boy name?
Hugo ranked #378 among boys in 2025 with 837 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #432.
When was the name Hugo most popular?
Hugo peaked in 2025, when 837 American boys received the name (ranked #377 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Hugo?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,151 newborn American boys was named Hugo. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.