English Reference

Word

hugh

Phoneticshugh

/ˈhju/

Definitions

01male given name

A1

n. a common first name for a man.

n. A masculine given name derived from Germanic roots meaning 'heart', 'mind', or 'spirit'.

“Hugh Grant is a very famous British actor.”

“The protagonist, a man named Hugh, struggles to reconcile his traditional upbringing with his modern career in the city.”

02surname

A1

n. a family name or last name.

n. A surname originating as a patronymic, though less common than its derivative 'Hughes'.

“The author's full name is Robert Hugh.”

“Historical records indicate that the Hugh family settled in this region during the late seventeenth century.”

Etymology

From the Old French aristocratic and saint's name Hughe, brought to England by Normans, from a short form of Germanic names beginning with Proto-Germanic *hugiz (“heart, mind”), such as Hubert. Cognate with Old English hyġe (“mind, spirit, intellect”). More at high, how.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
A1 · Beginner
Frequency
Common
Updated

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English Reference