Hughes

An Irish surname of Antrim, Dublin, and Mayo. In the 2010 US census it was carried by 236,271 people, the 90th most common surname in the country.

Hughes is the anglicised form of two distinct Irish names. Some you can hear in the English name; others look and sound nothing like it, and were simply swapped for it.

Mac Aodha, son of Aodh (a common Irish personal name, now anglicised Hugh). This family stood in the barony of Clare in Co. Galway and Co. Limerick.

Ó Haodha, descendant of Aodh (fire). This family stood in the barony of Farney in Co. Monaghan, the barony of Gorey in Co. Wexford, Co. Cork, Co. Galway, Co. Mayo, Co. Meath, Co. Sligo, and Co. Tyrone.

Where the name comes from

Hughes is Aodh, fire, one of the commonest personal names in the country. Mac Aodha is son of Aodh, a very common surname especially in Ulster and Connacht, covering several distinct families; in the barony (an old land division, several parishes across) of Clare, Co. Galway, Mac Aodha was chief of Clann Choscraigh and of the same stock as the O'Flahertys. It also gives MacKay, MacKey, MacKee, MacCoy and MacHugh.

The MacKays of Strath-naver were a well-known Scottish clan, some of whom are doubtless among the MacKays of the north of Ireland. MacCoy is almost peculiar to Co. Limerick, where the family migrated from Ulster more than three centuries ago.

Ó hAodha is the same word with the other prefix and it is one of the strongest names in the country, covering families from Tyrone to Cork: lords of Ui Fiachrach of Ardstraw, chiefs of Eas Ruadh near Ballyshannon, chiefs of Fearnmaighe in Monaghan, lords of Odhbha near Navan, and many more. O'Hea, Hay, Hayes, Hews and Hughes are all of it.

The Giant's Causeway at twilight with wet hexagonal basalt columns stretching to the sea and long exposure blurred waves
The Giant's Causeway, Co. Antrim

The Hughes counties, photographed

Antrim

The Antrim coast road runs about 25 miles between the cliffs and the sea, with nine glens coming down to it. The rock is basalt, the same flow that formed the Giant's Causeway. Scotland is 12 miles off at the narrowest point and visible on a clear day.

The iconic Dark Hedges beech tree tunnel near Armoy in County Antrim with intertwined branches forming a brooding canopyThe Dark Hedges, Co. Antrim Co. Antrim Long exposure of Pan's Rock with its footbridge at dawn on the Antrim Causeway Coast, silky water and blurred clouds, Rathlin Island on the horizonPan's Rock, Co. Antrim Co. Antrim Sunrise over Colliery Bay with Fair Head cliffs and mountains, Co. Antrim, fine art landscape photograph by Peter CoxColliery Bay & Fair Head, Co. Antrim Co. Antrim Dunluce Castle on coastal cliffs with long exposure sea, Co. Antrim, fine art landscape photograph by Peter CoxDunluce Castle, Co. Antrim Co. Antrim

Dublin

Dublin is a county as well as a city. The bay has Howth at the north end and Killiney Hill at the south, the Muglins are a pair of rocks off Dalkey, and the Dublin Mountains start about half an hour from the city centre.

Moonlight reflecting on the sea near the Muglins lighthouse off Dalkey Island, Dublin, with the Kish light on the horizonThe Muglins by Moonlight II Co. Dublin Long exposure panoramic view of the White Rock swimming platform at Killiney Bay, Dublin, floating in misty high-tide watersThe White Rock, Killiney Bay, Co. Dublin Co. Dublin Heron fishing at dawn on the Dublin coast — fine art wildlife photograph by Peter CoxHeron, Co. Dublin Co. Dublin

Mayo

Achill is the largest island off the Irish coast and is joined to the mainland by a bridge. Clew Bay is full of drumlins that were drowned when the sea rose, which is where the story about an island for every day of the year comes from. Croagh Patrick stands over the south side of the bay. Mayo's population is still less than half what it was before the Famine.

Black and white view across Doo Lough towards Ben Gorm and mountains, Co. Mayo, fine art landscape photograph by Peter CoxDoo Lough, Co. Mayo Co. Mayo Black and white view of Dun Briste sea stack from a sea cave, Co. Mayo, fine art landscape photograph by Peter CoxDún Briste from the Cave Co. Mayo Black and white lone tree standing in bogland with the Partry Mountains behind, County MayoLone Tree, Partry Mountains, Co. Mayo Co. Mayo Black and white long exposure of Dun Briste sea stack at Downpatrick Head, Co. Mayo, fine art landscape photograph by Peter CoxDún Briste, Downpatrick Head, Co. Mayo Co. Mayo

All Antrim prints · All Dublin prints · All Mayo prints

Notable bearers

Langston Hughes (1901-1967), writer, journalist, and novelist.

Howard Hughes (1905-1976), film director, film producer, and entrepreneur.

Ted Hughes (1930-1998), writer, novelist, and poet.

Mark Hughes (born 1963), association football player and association football coach.

Billy Hughes (1862-1952), politician, diplomat, and head of government.

About this page

The counties on this page are where the name was thickest on the ground in Ireland a century and a half ago, not a claim about any one family. Names moved around inside the country as much as they left it. The photographs are mine, made in the counties named.

More Irish surnames: Smith · Brown · Miller · Wilson · Anderson · Thomas · Taylor · Moore · Jackson · Martin · Lee · Thompson

How common the name was

In 1890, 331 births were registered under Hughes in Ireland, most of them in Antrim, Armagh, Dublin, Mayo, Monaghan, and Tyrone.

Ulster 180
Connacht no figure printed
Leinster no figure printed
Munster no figure printed
Ireland 331

Armagh, Monaghan, and Tyrone are the ones I haven't worked in.