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Hughes Family History

Hughes Surname Meaning

English and Welsh: variant of Hugh with genitival or excrescent -s. Irish and Scottish: adopted as an equivalent of Gaelic surnames based on the personal name Aodh ‘fire’ for example Ó hAodha Mac Aodha; see McCoy and compare McHugh .

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Hughen, Hugh, Hughs, Hughley, Hugus, Huguet, Hughey, Huger, Highley

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Hughes family from?

You can see how Hughes families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Hughes family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Hughes families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 180 Hughes families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 13% of all the recorded Hughes's in USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Hughes families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Hughes surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Hughes ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Hughes. 15% of Hughes men worked as a Laborer and 6% of Hughes women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Hughes were Truck Driver and Maid. .

View Census Data for Hughes | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    15%
  • Farmer
    14%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    6%
  • Teacher
    6%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
  • Maid
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Hughes family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 2 million census records available for the last name Hughes. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Hughes census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Hughes

Passenger Lists

There are 307,000 immigration records available for the last name Hughes. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Hughes immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 312,000 military records available for the last name Hughes. For the veterans among your Hughes ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Hughes military records

You've only scratched the surface of Hughes family history

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What is the average Hughes lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Hughes life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Hughes in 1940 was 45, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Hughes

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Hughes family tree

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