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Irish surname

Hughes: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó hAodha; Mac Aodha · 'descendant of Aodh' / 'son of Aodh' (Aodh, 'fire', now anglicised Hugh)

In Ireland Woulfe (1923) gives Hughes as an anglicised form of Ó hAodha, 'descendant of Aodh', and of Mac Aodha, 'son of Aodh', Aodh being an Irish personal name now anglicised Hugh. He says Ó hAodha 'is generally anglicised Hughes in the North and Hayes in the South'. Hughes is also an English and Welsh surname. In Matheson's 1890 survey Hughes was the 34th commonest surname in Ireland, with about 14,900 people.

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Coat of arms associated with the Hughes surname
Irish formÓ hAodha; Mac Aodha
Meaning'descendant of Aodh' / 'son of Aodh' (Aodh, 'fire', now anglicised Hugh)
CountiesTyrone, Monaghan, Armagh, Antrim
Other spellings5
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Hughes crest gifts

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Origin of the Hughes name

Woulfe lists thirteen of the best-known Ó hAodha families, including lords of Ui Fiachrach of Ardstraw (Tyrone), chiefs of Eas Ruadh near Ballyshannon (Tirconnell) and chiefs of Fearnmaighe (Farney, Co. Monaghan), plus others in Meath, Wexford, Cork, Thomond, Galway, Mayo and Sligo. Mac Aodha, 'very common, especially in Ulster and Connacht', had several families too.[1][2]

  1. 1798John Hughes, later Archbishop of New York, born in Co. Monaghan.[3]
  2. 1850Hughes becomes the first Archbishop of New York.[3]
  3. 1890334 Hughes birth entries in Ireland, 180 of them in Ulster.[5]
  4. 1890Hughes is Ireland's 34th commonest surname, about 14,900 people.[4]

Where in Ireland

Co. TyroneÓ hAodha lords of Ui Fiachrach of Ardstraw; principal county for Hughes in 1890.[1][5]
Co. MonaghanÓ hAodha chiefs of Fearnmaighe (barony of Farney); principal county in 1890.[1][5]
Co. ArmaghFirst-named county for Hughes births in 1890.[5]
Co. AntrimPrincipal county for Hughes births in 1890.[5]
Co. GalwayMac Aodha chiefs of Clann Choscraigh (barony of Clare); an Ó hAodha family of Ui Maine; principal county in 1890.[2][1][5]
Co. MayoAn Ó hAodha family of Ui Fiachrach, formerly seated at Ard O nAodha, parish of Templemurray; principal county in 1890.[1][5]

Notable people named Hughes

Archbishop John Hughes1798–1864Born in Errigal Trough parish, Co. Monaghan; emigrated to the United States; first Archbishop of New York (1850).[3]

Other spellings

MacHugh · O Hugh · Hews · Hueson · Hayes[2]

Scottish connection

Woulfe's Mac Aodha, one of the Irish names behind Hughes, is also anglicised MacKay. He notes that 'the MacKays of Strath-naver were a well-known Scottish clan, some of whom are, doubtless, to be found among the MacKays of the north of Ireland'. This concerns the MacKay spelling, not Hughes.[2]

The Hughes coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Hughes surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

Hughes surname: questions

What does the surname Hughes mean in Ireland?

Woulfe gives Hughes as an anglicised form of Ó hAodha, 'descendant of Aodh' (fire), and of Mac Aodha, 'son of Aodh', Aodh being 'a common Irish personal name, now anglicised Hugh'.[1][2]

Are Hughes and Hayes the same name?

They can be. Woulfe says Ó hAodha 'is generally anglicised Hughes in the North and Hayes in the South'.[1]

Is Hughes Irish or Welsh?

It can be either. In Ireland Woulfe gives Hughes as an anglicised form of Ó hAodha and Mac Aodha. Bardsley's Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (1901) explains Hughes as 'the son of Hugh', a name of great influence on English surnames that 'became popular in Wales', so not every Hughes has Irish roots.[1][2][6]

Where in Ireland is Hughes most common?

In the 1890 births index Hughes was principally found in Armagh, Antrim, Dublin, Tyrone, Monaghan, Galway and Mayo; 180 of its 334 entries were in Ulster.[5]

Sources

  1. Ó hAodha — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/oh/o-haodha.php
  2. Mac Aodha — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/maca/mac-aodha.php
  3. Archbishop John Hughes — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/ArchbishopJohnHughes.php
  4. Principal Surnames in Ireland (table of 100 principal surnames, Births Index 1890) — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/principal-surnames-ireland.php
  5. Hughes — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/hughes.php
  6. A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (Charles Wareing Bardsley, 1901), entry 'Hugh, Hughes', Internet Archive (scan of the London: H. Frowde edition). archive.org/details/adictionaryengl00goog

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).