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From www.HouseOfNames.com Archives copyright © 2000 - 2009

Origins Available: French, Welsh

Where did the Welsh Hughes family come from? What is the Welsh coat of arms/family crest? When did the Hughes family first arrive in the United States? Where did the various branches of the family go? What is the history of the family name?

The ancestors of the bearers of the Hughes surname were Welsh Brythonic-Celts. However, their name came to Britain with the Norman invasion; Hughes is derived from the Old French personal name Hughe, also spelled Hue. This name was made popular by the exploits of several saints including: St. Hugh of Lincoln (1140-1200), who was born in Burgundy, France and established the first Carthusian monastery in England; as well as St. Hugh of Cluny (1024-1109).

Welsh surnames are relatively few in number, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. There are many factors that explain the preponderance of Welsh variants, but the earliest is found during the Middle Ages when Welsh surnames came into use. At this time, there were no uniform spelling rules and because the general population was illiterate, they could not specify a particular rendition of their names. Therefore, scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, which often resulted in a single person's name being inconsistently recorded over his lifetime. The transliteration of Welsh names into English also accounts for many of the spelling variations: the unique Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh had many sounds the English language was incapable of accurately reproducing. It was also common for members of a same surname to change their names slightly, in order to signify a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations. For all of these reasons, the many spelling variations of particular Welsh names are very important. The surname Hughes has occasionally been spelled Hughes, Hugh, Hews, Hughs, Hues, Huse and others.

First found in Carmarthenshire, where they were seated from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

In the 1800s and 1900s, many Welsh families left for North America, in search of land, work, and freedom. Those who made the trip successfully helped contriBute to the growth of industry, commerce, and the cultural heritage of both Canada and the United States. In the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Hughes Richard Hughes, who settled in Barbados in 1654; another Richard Hughes settled in Virginia in 1634; Richard Hughes settled in Georgia with his wife and five sons in 1733.

Motto Translated: Name of the lordship of the family.

For more information on the last name Hughes, the PDF Surname History is available for purchase as well as other products.


Suggested Readings for the name Hughes
  • The Families of Benjamin (1816-1903) [and] Margaret Evans (1825-1879) Hughes and Evan (1808-1877) [and] Jane Davies (1817-1858) James by David Wendell Hughes.
  • Genealogy of Chadwick, King, and Allied Families: McKee, Callahan, Hughs/Hughes, Mock, Roberts, Langston by Darline Chadwick Smith.

Some noteworthy people of the name Hughes
  • Charles E Hughes (1862-1948), one time Governor of New York state and later American secretary of state to Warren G. Harding
  • James Mercer Langston Hughes (1902-1967), American poet, novelist, playwright, short story writer, and newspaper columnist. Hughes is best known for his work during the Harlem Renaissance
  • Barnard Aloysius Kiernan Hughes (1915-2006), American actor of theater and film
  • Howard Robard Hughes (1905-1976), pioneering American aviator, engineer, industrialist, and film producer. He was widely known as a playboy and one of the wealthiest people in the world
  • Second Lieutenant Lloyd Herbert Hughes (1921-1843), who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1943
  • John Hughes Jr. (1950-2009), American film director, producer and writer, maker of some of the most successful comedy films of the 1980s and 1990s, including National Lampoon's Vacation, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and The Breakfast Club
  • Hatcher Hughes (1881-1945), American playwright awarded the 1924 Pulitzer Prize for Drama
  • Richard Arthur Warren Hughes (1900-1976), Welsh playwright, poet, short story writer, novelist, and vice president of the Welsh National Theatre from 1924 to 1936
  • Prime Minister William Morris Hughes (1864-1952), Welsh/Australian statesman and 11th Prime Minister (1915-1923)
  • Nerys Hughes (b. 1941), Welsh stage and television actress
  • Arthur Hughes (1830-1915), English Pre-Raphaelite Painter
  • David Edward Hughes (1831-1900), English inventor of the carbon microphone which was essential to the development of the telephone
  • Edward "Ted" James Hughes (b. 1930), one of the most outstanding living British poets. In 1984 he was awarded the title of the nation's Poet Laureate


Tell Me More About Family Crests


Family Crests: the Heraldic Artist


We have researched the Hughes family crest in the most recognized sources. Before an artist or craftsman can render a family crest, it must exist. In other words the crest must have been designed and recorded by the heralds from time immemorial.

Heraldic designs matriculated by the lay-artist in many cases becomes uninspired, meretricious and even ugly...

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Family Crests: Timeline


Many of the symbols adopted into armory have been used since the time of the ancient Egyptians, but heraldry itself did not begin until the 11th century. In continental Europe, the most ancient recorded family crest was discovered upon the monumental effigy of a Count of Wasserburg in the church of St. Emeran, at Ratisobon, Germany...

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Family Crests: Elements


In the Hughes coat of arms as in all coat of arms the crest is only one element of the full armorial achievement. Again the Family Crest is just part of the story of Coats of Arms or Heraldry. Heraldry is defined as the hereditary art or science of blazoning, the description is appropriate technical terms of Coats-of-Arms and other heraldic and armorial insignia, and is of very ancient origin...

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Family Crests and Genealogy: how they relate


We encourage you to study the Hughes genealogy to find out if you descend from someone who bore a particular family crest. Anyone making a study of heraldry usually becomes interested in Genealogy or seeking legal claim to a particular family crest. No families, not even the royal houses, can make sound claim to the right to bear arms unless a proven connection is established through attested Genealogical records...

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Hughes Family Crest Products


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Surname Histories for the name Hughes.
Symbolism with a Hughes coat of arms.
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Popular Products
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The Hughes Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Hughes Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.

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