Welsh Origins of the name Hughes

(The following is paraphrased from a message to Mark Hughes from Dave Evans, an instructor in Welsh language in Berkeley, California.)

Hughes is considered to be a Welsh name and comes from the Middle Ages. In those days (before the English had much influence), a patronymic naming system was used (people were named after their fathers and there was no system of "last names" as we know it). So someone might be called Gwilym ap Rhys, meaning Gwilym son of Rhys. After the Norman conquest (Twelfth century) people started switching gradually to the English system of last names and either freezing the name under the patronymic system or modifying it to add an "s" on the end of the father's name as in English to denote son of whoever.

So, assuming Hughes is indeed the original family name, it indicates that sometime in the past there was a relative whose first name was Hugh. Hugh is an Anglicized version of Huw (pronounced the same way) which came from the very old name Hywel (pronounced HUH-well). For instance Hywel Dda (Hywel the Good) is very famous for codifying the laws of Wales in the 10th century. Other English names that derive from the same source are Howell, Powell (from ap Hywel), Pugh (from ap Huw), etc. Supposedly, the Howell and Powell variations are common in the South and North East of Wales but the Hughes versions are mostly seen in the North West part of Wales, near Caernarfon, Conwy [and Llangollan -DWH].

For more information on this, see the book "Welsh Surnames" by Morgan Prys Jones et al.

(The following was found on a website http://www.concentric.net/~Gentree/ that focused on people with the surname "Hughes". This particular site has moved, I know not where. The source for this was listed as "not known".)

The surname, Hughes, is derived from the Welsh ap Hugh (son of Hugh) and from the Milesian O'Haodha, O'h Aodha or O'Haedha (aodh being the equivalent of Hugh) pronounced in Ulster O'Hugh. The word'hugh' sometimes meant soul, mind or spirit; sometimes affability and comfort; sometimes, as in the Gaelic, a guest or stranger.

As an early name Hugh held a very important position, and it is clothed in holy associations. There was a 'St. Hugh'. Abbot of Cluny, 1109; 'St. Hugh' Bishop of Grenoble, 1132; 'St. Hugh' Bishop of Linoln, 1200; and, above all, the celebrated infant martyr, 'St. Hugh,' of Lincoln, crucified by the Jews of that city in 1250. This event happened just at the best time for affecting our surnames, as their heredity tendency was then becoming especially marked.

The Welsh ap Hughs came to Ireland about the seventeenth century and soon changed their names to Hughes, and the Irish bearing the Milesian O'Haedha for their family name, to avoid the persecutions to which the Irish Catholics were subjected by their English conquerors, shortly afterward did the same.

One line of Hughes descend from the fifteen noble tribes of Gwynedd, Princes of Wales, taking up along the line ancestors who rather tax the orthography of this simplified date. There was Hugh ap Kynric and his wife Gwenllian, daughter of John Vychan ap John ap Iruffydd ap Owen Pygott. One inserts Hugh or Hughes into the names of their descendants wherever most convenient.

Hewes and Huse are forms of the name frequently found in colonial records, when one style of spelling was as good as another. Abel Huse, born in London, settled in Newbury, Massachusetts, with his wife Mary, in 1635. They had sons Thomas and James, and a Captain Huse, born 1730, is called the son of James. Other pioneers, or founders of families, were Richard Hughes, 1640, of Guilford, Connecticut; Arthur, 1676, of Salem, Massachusetts, and John, of Hatfield, a soldier.

Hugh is an English patronymic name, from the Old French given name Hue or Hughe, which was brought to England by the invading Normans. There are any number of given names with the Germanic element -hug = heart; Hugh is a shortened form, and was a popular name in England, partly due to St. Hugh of Lincoln (d. 1200). Variations are Hugo, Hewe, Hew. Cognates include Hugo, Hugues, Hue, Hugon, Gon , (French); Huc, Uc (Provencal); Ugo, Ughi (Italian); Hugk, Hug, Huge (German), Haugg, Hauch (Franconia); Huyghe (Flemish). Hughes is a patronymic version, as are Hughs, Huws, Hewes, Hews, Hughson, Hewson, Howson, Hooson, FitzHugh, D'Ugo, Hauger, Huygens.

(Another website, http://www.dsisd.k12.mi.us/staff/djh/Hughes.htm states the following:)

The English and Welsh Surname Hughes is of patronymic origin, being derived from the first-name of the father of the initial bearer. In this instance the surname is derived from the personal name Hugh. It signifies "son of Hugh". The name Hugh was introduced to England after the Norman Conquest of 1066 and became a very popular boy's name.

One of the earliest records of this surname is that of one Willelmus filius (son of ) Hugonis who lived in England in 1084.