Hughes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France
Ireland
Wales

Etymology of Hughes

What does the name Hughes mean?

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 (French: Bourgogne) and established the first Carthusian monastery in England; as well as St. Hugh of Cluny (1024-1109).

Hugh (d. 1094), called of Grantmesnil, or Grentemaisnil, was Baron and Sheriff of Leicestershire, son of Robert of Grantmesnil, in the arrondissement of Lisieux. 1

Hugh (d. 1098), called of Montgomery, Earl of Shrewsbury and Arundel, second son of Roger of Montgomery, held during his father's lifetime the manor of Worfield in Shropshire. 1

Early Origins of the Hughes family

The surname Hughes was first found in Carmarthenshire (Welsh: Sir Gaerfyrddin), located in Southwest Wales, one of thirteen historic counties and presently one of the principal area in Wales.

Early rolls provide us a glimpse of the spelling variations used at that time. By example, Hugo was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086; Willelmus filius Hugonis was found in Wiltshire in 1084 and Reginaldus le fiz Hugonis was in the Pipe Rolls of Leicestershire from 1195. 2

Early History of the Hughes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hughes research. Another 106 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1038, 1518, 1545, 1553, 1600, 1603, 1604, 1612, 1613, 1620, 1632, 1645, 1654, 1659, 1662, 1664, 1667, 1670, 1674, 1677, 1685, 1693, 1695, 1704, 1719, 1720, 1731, 1740, 1751, 1776 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Hughes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hughes Spelling Variations

There are relatively few surnames native to Wales, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. Early variations of Welsh surnames can be explained by the fact that very few people in the early Middle Ages were literate. Priests and the few other literate people were responsible for recording names in official documents. And because most people could not specific how to properly record their names it was up to the individual recorder of that time to determine how a spoken name should be recorded. Variations due to the imprecise or improper recording of a name continued later in history when names originally composed in the Brythonic Celtic, language of Wales, known by natives as Cymraeg, were transliterated into English. Welsh names that were documented in English often changed dramatically since the native language of Wales, which was highly inflected, did not copy well. Occasionally, however, spelling variations were carried out according to an individual's specific design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations could be indicated by minor variations. The spelling variations of the name Hughes have included Hughes, Hugh, Hews, Hughs, Hues, Huse and others.

Early Notables of the Hughes family

George Hughes (1603-1667), an English Puritan clergyman and writer
Thomas Hughes (1604-1664), a Welsh politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1654 and 1659
Margaret Hughes (c. 1645-1719), also known as Peg Hughes or Margaret Hewes, generally believed to be the first professional actress on the English stage
John Hughes (1677-1720), an English poet also noted for his editing of and commentary on the works of Edmund Spenser

Hughes World Ranking

the United States, the name Hughes is the 88^th most popular surname with an estimated 228,804 people with that name. 3 However, in Canada, the name Hughes is ranked the 165^th most popular surname with an estimated 21,019 people with that name. 4 And in Australia, the name Hughes is the 59^th popular surname with an estimated 36,247 people with that name. 5 New Zealand ranks Hughes as 60^th with 5,033 people. 6 The United Kingdom ranks Hughes as 16^th with 129,681 people. 7

Migration of the Hughes family to Ireland

Some of the Hughes family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 84 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hughes migration to the United States +

Many Welsh families joined their Scottish and Irish neighbors during the late 1800s and early 1900s in seeking refuge in North America. Like the Irish and Scottish, many Welsh anxiously awaited the work, freedom, and opportunities that they believed lay in North America. Those who did journey over to the United States and what became known as Canada often realized those dreams, but only through much toil and perseverance. Whenever and however these Welsh immigrants arrived in North America, they were instrumental in the creation of the industry, commerce, and cultural heritage within those two developing nations. In the immigration and passenger lists a number of early immigrants bearing the name Hughes were found:

Hughes Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Richard Hughes, aged 19, who arrived in Virginia in 1634 aboard the ship "Bonaventure" coming via St. Domingo
Joshua Hughes, who landed in Roxbury, Massachusetts in 1634 9
Mr. Charles Hughes, (b. 1605), aged 30, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Constance" arriving in Virginia in 1635 10
Mr. Edward Hughes, (b. 1614), aged 21, British settler who arrived in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Alice" 11
Mr. Richard Hughes, aged 20, who arrived in Virginia aboard the ship "Paul" in 1635 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hughes Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Valentine Hughes, who arrived in Virginia in 1703 9
Richard Hughes, who settled in Georgia with his wife and five sons in 1733
Joseph Hughes, who landed in Georgia in 1738 9
Lucy Hughes, who arrived in Maryland in 1740 9
Thomas Hughes, who settled in Georgia in 1744
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hughes Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Andrew Hughes, aged 35, who landed in New Castle or Philadelphia in 1805 9
Jane Hughes, who landed in America in 1805 9
Lawrence Hughes, who landed in America in 1809 9
James Hughes, who landed in New Jersey in 1811 9
Herman Hughes, aged 30, who landed in New York in 1812 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hughes Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Henry P Hughes, who landed in Arkansas in 1900 9
Mr. Arthur Jordan Hughes, (b. 1870), aged 34, Canadian private secretary from Padstow, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Carpathia" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 8th July 1904 en route to Toronto, Ontario, USA 13
Mrs. Adele Hughes, (b. 1884), aged 21, Cornish settler from Liskeard, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "St Paul" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 2nd April 1905 en route to New York, USA 13

Hughes migration to Canada +

Hughes Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Heny Hughes, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749
Stephen Hughes, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749
Mr. Charles Hughes U.E. who arrived at Port Roseway [Shelburne], Nova Scotia on October 26, 1783 was passenger number 214 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on September 28, 1783 at Staten Island, New York 14
Mr. James Hughes U.E. who settled in Marysburgh [Prince Edward County], Ontario c. 1784 14
Mr. John Hughes U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hughes Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Matthew Hughes, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1821
Ellis Hughes, who arrived in Canada in 1828
Joel Hughes, who arrived in Canada in 1831
John Hughes, aged 30, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Edward Reid" in 1833
Ellen Hughes, aged 30, a widow, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the brig "Dorcas Savage" from Belfast, Ireland
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hughes migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia included the First Fleet, Second Fleet and Third Fleet of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

First Fleet

Mr. Robert Hughes, (1764 - 1760), British settler convicted in Shrewsbury (Salop), England in 1788, sentenced to 7 years for theft, transported aboard the ship "Guardian" leaving in 1789 she struck an iceberg in 1789 and was turned back to Cape Town, Africafinally arriving in New South Wales in 1790 8
Mr. William Hughes, Welsh settler convicted at Flint, Flinshire in 1788, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Neptune, Scarborough or Surprize" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 9
Mr. John Hughes, (1761 - 1840), aged 28, Irish settler convicted at Cheshire, England in 1788, sentenced to 7 years for felony, transported aboard the ship "Neptune, Scarborough or Surprize" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 9
Mr. Thomas Hughes, British settler convicted at Buckinghamshire, England in 1788, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Neptune" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 9
Mr. Thomas Hughes, British settler convicted at Warwickshire, England in 1787, sentenced to 7 years for breaking and entering, transported aboard the ship "Neptune, Scarborough or Surprize" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 9

Second Fleet

Mr. Edward Hughes, British settler convicted in Kent, England in 1789, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Albermarle" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 9
Mr. James Hughes, British settler convicted in Herefordshire, England in 1787, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Atlantic" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 9
Mr. John Hughes, British settler convicted in Middlesex, England in 1787, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Salamander" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 9
Mr. Richard Hughes, British settler convicted in Middlesex, England in 1787, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "William and Ann" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 9
Mr. Elizabeth Hughes, British settler convicted in Warwickshire, England in 1789, sentenced to 7 years for robbery, transported aboard the ship "Mary Ann" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 9

Third Fleet

Mr. Hugh Hughes, (b. 1761), aged 26, English settler convicted in Southwark, London on 16th February 1785, sentenced for 7 years for theft, transported aboard the ship "Alexander" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788 9
Mr. John Hughes, (b. 1766), aged 21, English labourer convicted in Maidstone, Kent on 15th March 1784, sentenced for 7 years for highway robbery, transported aboard the ship "Alexander" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788 9
Mr. Thomas Hughes, (b. 1762), aged 25, English settler convicted in London on 20th February 1783, sentenced for 7 years for stealing animals, transported aboard the ship "Friendship" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788 9
Miss Frances Ann Hughes, (b. 1755), aged 32, English settler convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire on 26th March 1787, sentenced for 7 years for felony, transported aboard the ship "Prince of Wales" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788 9
Mr. William Hughes, British drummer on the Navy support ship for the First Fleet the "HMS Sirius" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788

Following the First, Second and Third Fleets, other convicts and early settlers arriving in Australia include:

Hughes Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century

Mr. Mathew Hughes, (Mathias), (b. 1770), aged 28, Irish soldier who was convicted in County Down, Ireland for life for murder, transported aboard the "Britannia III" on 18th July 1798, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1845 15

Hughes Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Michael Hughes, British settler who was convicted in Lancashire, England for life for stealing, transported aboard the "Fortune And Alexander" on 31st December 1805, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 16
Miss Alice Hughes, (b. 1787), aged 26, Irish convict who was convicted in Armagh, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Catherine" on 8th December 1813, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 17
Mr.Owen Hughes, (b. 1770), aged 44, Irish servant who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Francis and Eliza" on 15th December 1814, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 16
Mr.Richard Hughes, (b. 1789), aged 25, Irish servant who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Francis and Eliza" on 15th December 1814, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 16
Mr. Thomas Hughes, English convict who was convicted in Kent, England for life, transported aboard the "Baring" in April 1815, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 18
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hughes migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Hughes Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Arthur Hughes, Australian settler travelling from Port of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia on board the ship "David Owen" arriving in New Zealand in 1832 19
John Hughes, who landed in Moriaki, New Zealand in 1840
Stephen Edward Hughes, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1840
William Hughes, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
William Hughes, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Whitby" in 1841
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hughes migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 20

Hughes Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Mr. John Hughes, (b. 1614), aged 20, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Hopewell" arriving in Barbados on 17th February 1634 9
Mr. Lewes Hughes, (b. 1616), aged 19, British settler travelling from London, England aboard the ship "Alexander" arriving in Barbados in 1635 21
Richard Hughes, who settled in Barbados in 1654
Lewes Hughes, who settled in Barbados in 1654-1661
Richard Hughes, who settled in Barbados in 1654-1663

Contemporary Notables of the name Hughes (post 1700) +

Kim Galen Hughes (1952-2025), American basketball player and coach, professional basketball in the American Basketball Association and the National Basketball Association with the New York / New Jersey Nets, Denver Nuggets and Milwaukee Bucks (1975-1981), served as the interim head coach for the Los Angeles Clippers for 33 games in 2010
Kathleen Hughes (1928-2025), born Elizabeth Margaret von Gerkan, an American actress who appeared during the Golden Age of Hollywood, best known for her co-starring role with Edward G. Robinson in a 1953 crime drama, The Glass Web
Robert Hughes Sr. (1928-2024), American high school basketball coach
Leon Hughes Sr. (1930-2023), American rhythm and blues singer, the last surviving original member of The Coasters
Thomas Lowe Hughes (1925-2023), American government official, Director of the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (1963-1969)
Robert John Hughes (1930-2022), British-born American journalist, a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University, and winner of the Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of Indonesia and the Overseas Press Club Award for an investigation into the international narcotics traffic, editor of The Christian Science Monitor and The Deseret News and is a former president of the American Society of Newspaper Editors
Dorothy Pitman Hughes (b. 1938), née Ridley, an American feminist, child-welfare advocate, activist, public speaker, author, and small business owner
Bradley Wayne Hughes (1933-2021), American billionaire businessman, the founder and chairman of Public Storage, the largest self-storage company in the U.S. doing business as a REIT or real estate investment trust
Eugene M. Hughes (1934-2021), American educator, President of Northern Arizona University from 1979 to 1993 and President of Wichita State University from 1993 to 1998
... (Another 346 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Hughes family +

Air New Zealand Flight 901

Mr. Steven William Hughes (1947-1979), New Zealander passenger, from Bucklands Beach, Auckland, New Zealand aboard the Air New Zealand Flight 901 for an Antarctic sightseeing flight when it flew into Mount Erebus; he died in the crash 22
Mr. Charles W Hughes (1965-1985), American Specialist 4th Class from Cleburne, Texas, USA who died in the Arrow Air Flight 1285 crash 23
Mr. Frank J Hughes (1955-1985), American Staff Sergeant from North Carrollton, Alabama, USA who died in the Arrow Air Flight 1285 crash 24
John Hughes (1921-1985), from Bradford who attended the Bradford City and Lincoln City Third Division match on 11th May 1985 when the Bradford City stadium fire occurred and he died in the fire
Thomas Stanley "Stan" Hughes (d. 1943), Australian Seaman who died aboard the ship "Centaur" an Australian hospital ship when torpedoed on 14th May 1943
... (Another 49 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Hughes Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Kymmer-yn Lydeirnon
Motto Translation: Name of the lordship of the family.

Sources +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships
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)
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved October 5th 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved January 6th 2023 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Britannia
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au
Convict Records of Australia (Retreived 2nd January 2021, retreived from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/catherine
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 28th September 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Mount Erebus, Memorial, Roll of Remembrance (Retrieved 2018, February 21st). Retrieved from http://www.erebus.co.nz/memorialandawards/rollofremembrance.aspx
American War Memorials - Flight 1285. (Retrieved 2016, August 24) . Retrieved from http://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/monument_details.php?SiteID=317&MemID=550