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Hugh

Boy name · 1,386 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Hugh: 1,386 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to boys, peaking at 86 births in 1974.

Derived from the Old Germanic element *hug* meaning “heart, mind, spirit”, Hugh entered Scotland via Norman French and quickly became a classic Scottish first name. Its most famous Scottish bearer is Hugh de Morville, a 12th‑century nobleman who founded Dryburgh Abbey. The name also belongs to Saint Hugh of Lincoln, the patron saint of sick children, and to the modern actor Hugh Grant. The place name Hugh Town on St Mary’s, Isles of Scilly, shares the same personal name heritage, as does St Hugh’s College, Oxford. A notable Scottish variant is the Gaelic *Aodh* (meaning