How common is the surname Hughes?

236,271 people in the United States had the surname Hughes in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 1,307 Americans. It ranked 90th of 162,253 surnames.

Who is the most famous person named Hughes?

Langston Hughes, American writer and social activist (1901–1967), followed by Howard Hughes.

Where is the surname Hughes most common?

Wikidata records people named Hughes in the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom and 3 other countries.

How do you pronounce Hughes?

Hughes is /hjuːz/, one syllable.

Is the surname Hughes getting more or less common?

More common. 229,390 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 236,271 in 2010, up 3.0%.

Is Hughes also a first name?

Yes. Hughes is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.

The surname Hughes

A patronymic surname, the 90th most common in the United States.

Pronounced /hjuːz/ 1 syllable Soundex H220

Every surname held by 100 or more people in the 2010 US Census, most common on the left (162,253 in all). Hughes is more common than 99.9% of them.

Origin

A Welsh and English surname originating as a patronymic derived from the given name Hugh.

Hughes is a patronymic surname: formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.

Origin from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

How common it is

2010 US Census

There were 236,271 people named Hughes in the United States in 2010, about 1 in every 1,307 Americans. That is up 3.0% since 2000, when the Census counted 229,390.

#90

rank among US surnames

236,271

people in 2010

per 100,000 Americans

+3%

change since 2000 (was #83)

Rank	Surname	People	1 in
#81	Watson	252,579	1,222
#82	Brooks	251,663	1,227
#83	Chavez	250,898	1,231
#84	Wood	250,715	1,231
#85	James	249,379	1,238
#86	Bennett	247,599	1,247
#87	Gray	246,116	1,254

Who is named Hughes

Race and Hispanic origin as people reported it in the 2010 Census

78% of people named Hughes identified as white (not Hispanic), 16% as Black (not Hispanic) and 2.5% as Hispanic or Latino (any race).

White (not Hispanic) 78%
Black (not Hispanic) 16%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2.5%
Two or more races 2.0%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.5%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.5%

Compare: most common surnames among white Americans.

Famous Hughess

71 notable people on Wikidata, most written-about first

Langston Hughes
American writer and social activist (1901–1967)
Howard Hughes
American aviator, engineer, industrialist, and film producer (1905–1976)
Billy Hughes
Australian politician (1862–1952), 7th Prime Minister of Australia from 1915 to 1923
Charles Evans Hughes
American jurist; Chief Justice of the United States from 1930 to 1941 (1862–1948)
John Hughes
American filmmaker (1950–2009)
Chris Hughes
American entrepreneur, born 1983
Glenn Hughes
British bassist and singer, born 1952
Phillip Hughes
Australian cricketer (1988-2014)
Sarah Hughes
American figure skater, born 1985
Robert Hughes
Australian critic, historian, and writer (1938–2012)
Matt Hughes
American mixed martial arts fighter, born 1973
Larry Hughes
American basketball player (born 1979)

Notable Hughess come mostly from the United States (53), Australia (8) and the United Kingdom (6).

Questions

How common is the surname Hughes?: 236,271 people in the United States had the surname Hughes in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 1,307 Americans. It ranked 90th of 162,253 surnames.
What ethnicity is the surname Hughes?: In the 2010 Census, 78% of people named Hughes identified as white (not Hispanic), and 16% as Black (not Hispanic).
Who is the most famous person named Hughes?: Langston Hughes, American writer and social activist (1901–1967), followed by Howard Hughes.
Where is the surname Hughes most common?: Wikidata records people named Hughes in the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom and 3 other countries.
How do you pronounce Hughes?: Hughes is /hjuːz/, one syllable.
What type of surname is Hughes?: Hughes is a patronymic surname, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.
Is the surname Hughes getting more or less common?: More common. 229,390 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 236,271 in 2010, up 3.0%.
Is Hughes also a first name?: Yes. Hughes is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.