Hug History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France

The surname Hug is a name whose history dates far back into the mists of Medieval France to a region once known as Brittany (French: Bretagne). It is a name for the Germanic personal name Hugo, which itself comes from the Old German word "hug," which means "intelligence."

Early Origins of the Hug family

The surname Hug was first found in Languedoc, where the family has held a family seat since very early times.

Throughout the centuries this ancient family expanded, developed, and grew in size and influence. By the 17th century the family was well established in the region of Languedoc and several members of this well known family were distinctive in their contribution toward the community in which they lived and were rewarded with lands, titles and letters patent confirming their nobility. Descending from the original line of Languedoc was Noble Guillaume Hugues, who as rewarded for his large contribution in the religious affairs of the region was elevated to Archbishop of Embrun in 1612.

Along with the event of their time, members of this celebrated family pursued their belief with strong conviction for their King, crown and country and served as Gentlemen of the Chamber and Advisors of the King. The family of Languedoc knew further development and in 1695 the head of the family branch of Aix was elected Mayor. This esteemed family also had members who were responsible for the business matters of the region of Provence.

Early History of the Hug family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hug research. Another 63 words (4 lines of text) covering the year 1090 is included under the topic Early Hug History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hug Spelling Variations

There were a great number of spelling variations in French surnames. One reason for this was the wide variety of cultural influences present in France during the early development of the French language. The many spelling variations of the name include Hugues, de Hugues, Hughues, Hougues, Houghues, Ugues, Huggues and many more.

Early Notables of the Hug family

More information is included under the topic Early Hug Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hug Ranking

In the United States, the name Hug is the 14,591^st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Hug is ranked the 3,618^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,500 - 2,000 people with that name. 2

Hug migration to the United States +

France was active as a cultural leader in the early 16th century. One particular area in which they lead was the exploration of the New World. The explorers, like Jacques Cartier in 1534, led the way to North America. Champlain, in 1608, made the first of twenty voyages to France to attract settlers and brought the first migrant in 1617. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec, and the French Acadian presence in the Maritimes had reached 500. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The family name Hug has made many distinguished contributions in France and New France to the world of science, culture, religion, and education. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Hug were

Hug Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Susanna Hug, who landed in Carolina in 1734 3
Heinrich Hug, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1735
Peter Hug, who landed in Carolina in 1742 3
Johannes Hug, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1743 3
Rudolf Hug, who arrived with his children, Margreth and Hieronymus in America in 1753
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hug Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Heinrich Gottlieb Hug, aged 32, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1831 3
Louis Hug, who landed in Arkansas in 1890 3
Lewis Hug, who arrived in Arkansas in 1895 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Hug (post 1700) +

Ronald Hug, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Nebraska, 2004 4

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html