Hugh m. Old German hugu 'mind, heart', which was either used as a proper name itself, or as a prototheme in compound names.
The name of a 10th C king of Italy, two Capetian kings of France, four 13th-14th C kings of Cyprus and Jerusalem, two 12th C French saints, and a 12th C English saint.
In Ireland, this name was used as an anglicization of Irish Aodh. The English diminutives Howet, Huchon, Hud, Hudde, Hude, Huet, Hugge, Hughehon, and the vernacular forms Hoge and Howe are witnessed in 1379 in the relational bynames Howetsoñ (WRYPT1 p. 24), Huchondoghter (WRYPT1 p. 24), Hudsoñ (WRYPT1 p. 42), Huddesoñ (WRYPT1 p. 162), Hudesoñ (WRYPT1 p. 15), Huetsoñ (WRYPT1 p. 306), Huggesoñ (WRYPT1 p. 43), Hughehonsoñ (WRYPT1 p. 43), Hogesoñ (WRYPT1 p. 24), and Howesoñ (WRYPT1 p. 164).