What Does the Name Hugo Mean?
Hugo is a boy's name of Germanic origin meaning “heart, mind, spirit.”
Updated June 2026
| Name | Hugo |
|---|---|
| Gender | male |
| Origin | Germanic |
| Meaning | heart, mind, spirit |
| Variants | Hugh, Hugues, Ugo, Huw |
| Popularity | Extremely popular in Spain, France, Scandinavia, and the UK, and steadily rising in the US. |
The meaning and origin of Hugo
The name Hugo means “heart, mind, spirit” and has Germanic origins. Hugo is the Latinized form of Hugh, from the Germanic element hug, meaning 'heart,' 'mind,' or 'spirit.' It is used widely across Europe and Latin America, with literary fame through Victor Hugo.
Variants and related names
Hugo is related to several other names you may recognize: Hugh, Hugues, Ugo, Huw. These share a common root or are spelling and language variants of the same name.
How popular is the name Hugo?
Extremely popular in Spain, France, Scandinavia, and the UK, and steadily rising in the US.
Popularity matters when you need believable test data: a name that fits the era or region you are modeling makes a generated profile look real. You can generate a complete fictional profile using the name Hugo below.
Generate a fake Hugo profile
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Open the name generator →Frequently asked questions
What does the name Hugo mean?+
The name Hugo means “heart, mind, spirit” and is of Germanic origin.
What is the origin of the name Hugo?+
Hugo originates from Germanic.
Is Hugo a popular name?+
Yes — see the popularity note above for how Hugo has trended in the US over time.
Hugo by gender
More boy's names
Sources
- Behind the Name — Etymology and history of first names — Behind the Name
- US Social Security Administration — Popular baby names by year — Social Security Administration
- A Dictionary of First Names — Oxford Reference — Oxford University Press