How Many People Are Named Hughes?
An estimated 434 people in the United States have the first name Hughes. It is almost exclusively a male name. The average bearer is 35 years old, and Hughes peaked in popularity in 1916 with 61 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Hughes as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Hughes paired with any surname.
Estimated Living Americans
434
About 1 in 789,757 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Very Rare
Predicted Gender
Male
100.0% confidence
Average Age
35
years old
Peak Year
1916
61 births
Total Registered
894
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Hughes
Hughes is almost exclusively a male name. Out of 894 total births registered, 100.0% were male.
Hughes as a male name
Ranked #4,932 in 2024
20 male births in 2024
Peak: 1916 (61 births)
Hughes in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 578 people with the first name Hughes, which placed it at #18,609 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Hughes was recorded as predominantly male. Out of 578 people with this name in that snapshot, 91.5% were male and 8.5% were female. That is less heavily male than the long-run SSA birth pattern on this page, which sits at 100.0% male.
Census Count
578
people with this name
Census Rank
#18,609
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
0.19
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Hughes was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (63.59%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (25.26%) and Hispanic (3.83%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Hughes in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Hughes.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| White | 63.59% | 365 |
| Black | 25.26% | 145 |
| Hispanic | 3.83% | 22 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 3.83% | 22 |
| Two or More Races | 2.79% | 16 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.70% | 4 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Hughes: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Hughes span from the 1890s to the 2020s, covering 13 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1910s, when 190 babies were registered. While Hughes is less common than at its peak in the 1910s, it remains a well-established name with steady registrations.
Hughes by Decade
How has Hughes tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Hughes by State
Birth registrations for Hughes span all 5 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in North Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky. The lowest are in Virginia, Arkansas, Kentucky. On average, about 10 Hughess were registered per state.
Hughes + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Hughes as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Hughes
Other first names starting with H with a similar number of bearers.
Hughes: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hughes?
We estimate approximately 434 people named Hughes are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 789,757 Americans share this first name.
Is Hughes a common name?
Hughes is classified as "Very Rare" and is more popular than 83.2% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 894 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Hughes most popular?
Hughes reached peak popularity in 1916, when 61 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Hughes is approximately 35 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Hughes in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 578 people with the first name Hughes. That placed it at #18,609 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.19 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Hughes was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Hughes?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Hughes was recorded as predominantly male. The published split was 91.5% male and 8.5% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Hughes?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Hughes was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (63.59%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (25.26%) and Hispanic (3.83%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Hughes a male name?
Hughes is predominantly male. 100.0% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Hughes have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Hughes peaked in 1916, and the average living bearer is about 35 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Hughes Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Hughes Smith, Hughes Johnson, Hughes Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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