Name
Hugo
Meaning
Hugo is a masculine name of Germanic origin meaning “mind, intellect, spirit”.
Hugo descends from the Germanic element hug, meaning mind, thought, and spirit, carried across medieval Europe by Frankish nobles and a clutch of saints. Victor Hugo gave it literary immortality, and its o-ending confidence has made it a twenty-first-century favorite from Madrid to Stockholm.
A top-ten boys' name in Spain, France, and Sweden in recent years; rising in the US.
Popularity in the United States
Boys
Ranked #377 in 2025 · peak #365 in 2003
Data: US Social Security Administration, top-1000 ranks.
At a glance
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Questions
Hugo is a masculine name of Germanic origin meaning “mind, intellect, spirit”. Hugo descends from the Germanic element hug, meaning mind, thought, and spirit, carried across medieval Europe by Frankish nobles and a clutch of saints.
Hugo is traditionally a masculine (boy) name. It is a top-ten boys' name in Spain, France, and Sweden in recent years; rising in the US.
The name Hugo comes from Germanic. Hugo descends from the Germanic element hug, meaning mind, thought, and spirit, carried across medieval Europe by Frankish nobles and a clutch of saints. Victor Hugo gave it literary immortality, and its o-ending confidence has made it a twenty-first-century favorite from Madrid to Stockholm.
Hugo is pronounced HYOO-goh.
More names that mean wisdom
Names that share this meaning.