Hughes (surname)

Hughes /hjuːz/ is an Anglicized spelling of the Welsh and Irish patronymic surname of French origin. The surname may also be the etymologically unrelated Picard variant "Hugh" (Old French "Hue") of the Germanic name "Hugo".

Hughes
Origin
Language(s)Welsh, Irish Gaelic, French, Scottish Gaelic
Meaningpatronymic name for "son of Hugh" or "fire"
Region of originWales, Ireland, France, Scotland
Other names
Variant form(s)Ó hAodha, McHugh, MacHugh, O'Hugh, Ap Huw, Ap Hugh, Huson, Hughs, Huws, Hews, Hayes, Haynes, Haines, Pugh, Hugues, Hughues, Hugeus

Wales

In Wales and other areas of Brythonic Britain, the surname derives from the personal name "Hu" or "Huw", meaning "fire" or "inspiration". At the time of the British Census of 1881, the relative frequency of the surname "Hughes" was highest on the Welsh island of Ynys Môn (Anglesey; 37.2 times the British average), followed by Gwynedd, Flintshire, Denbighshire, Meirionydd, Montgomeryshire, Ceredigion, Radnorshire and Carmarthenshire.[1]

Ireland

The surname evolved from the ancient Irish name of "Ó hAodha", "grandson/descendant of Aodh (meaning "fire")." "Aodh" was frequently Anglicized as "Hugh", with "Ó hAodha" in turn being anglicized as "Hughes" or "Hayes". "Hughes" is the 15th most common name in the northern Irish province of Ulster, being especially common in the Ulster counties Armagh, Tyrone, Monaghan, Donegal and Fermanagh. It was the 34th most common name in all of Ireland in Matheson's 1890 census of Ireland and the 44th most common surname in Ireland in the 1992–1997 period.[2] In addition to the counties of Ulster, the surname Hughes is also commonly found in the counties Wexford, Galway and Cork.[3] There are variant spellings.

People with the surname "Hughes" include:

A

B

* Brendan Hughes (1948–2008), Irish republican

C

D

E

F

G

H
  • Harry Hughes (1926–2019), American politician
  • H. Stuart Hughes (1916–1999), American historian, professor and activist
  • Henry Hughes, nineteenth century British locomotive builder, see Brush Traction
  • Henry P. Hughes (1904–1968), American jurist
  • Herbert Bristow Hughes (1821–1892), pioneer pastoralist in South Australia
  • Howard Hughes (murderer) (born 1965), British paedophile and murderer
  • Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. (1905–1976), American pilot, movie producer and playboy
  • Howard Robard Hughes, Sr. (1869–1924), American businessman; father of Howard Robard Hughes, Jr..

I

J
  • Jack Hughes (born 2001), American ice hockey player
  • James Hughes (disambiguation), several people
  • James B. Hughes (1805–1873) American newsman, politician, and abolitionist
  • Jason Hughes (disambiguation), several people
  • Jefferson D. Hughes, III, associate justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court
  • Jesse Hughes (disambiguation), several people
  • Joan Hughes, British pilot
  • John Hughes (disambiguation), several people
  • John Arthur Hughes, U.S. Marine Corps officer
  • John Joseph Hughes, Irish-born American prelate
  • Joseph Hughes (disambiguation), several people
  • Joshua Hughes, Welsh Bishop

K

L

M

N
  • Nerys Hughes (born 1941), Welsh actress
  • Neil Hughes, UK District Councillor featured in Michael Apted's Up Series
  • Nicholas Hughes (1962–2009), British fisheries biologist

O

P
  • Pat Hughes (disambiguation), several people
  • Patricia Donoho Hughes (1930–2010), American educator and Maryland first lady
  • Paul Hughes (disambiguation), several people
  • Pete Hughes, American college baseball coach
  • Peter Hughes (disambiguation), several people

Q

R

S
  • Sabrina Hughes, fictional character from daytime soap opera As the World Turns
  • Sam Hughes (1853–1921) Canadian politician
  • Samuel Hughes (judge) (1913–2002), Canadian judge, grandson of Sam Hughes above
  • Sara Hughes (born 1995), American beach volleyball player
  • Sarah Hughes (born 1985), American figure skater and Olympic gold medalist
  • Sarah T. Hughes (1896–1985), US district judge who administered oath of office to President Lyndon Johnson
  • Séamus Hughes (born 1952), Irish Fianna Fáil politician
  • Sean Hughes (disambiguation), multiple people
  • Simon Hughes (born 1951), English politician
  • Simon Hughes (cricketer) (born 1959), English cricketer and journalist
  • Simon Pollard Hughes, Jr. (1830–1906), Governor of Arkansas
  • Spencer Hughes (disambiguation), several people:
  • Spencer Hughes (died 1983), English builder of LS3/5A loudspeakers
  • Spencer Leigh Hughes (1858–1920), British engineer, journalist and Liberal politician

T

U

V

W

X

Y
  • Yolanda Hughes, American female bodybuilder

Z

Zane Hughes

References
  1. "Hughes Surname Meaning and Distribution". forebears.co.uk. Retrieved 25 January 2014
  2. Murphy, Sean. "Survey of Irish Surnames" (PDF). homepage.eircom.net. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
  3. "Irish Surname - Hughes". Irelandroots.com. Retrieved 1 August 2014.

See also
  • Mr. Hughes (disambiguation)


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