Huey
A surname that usually began as a pet-form of Hugh, originally meaning “son of Hugh.”
The #3,625 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 31,505 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Huey is generally understood as a patronymic surname from the medieval personal name Hugh, with the ending reflecting a familiar or pet form such as Hue, Hew, or Hughey. In that sense, it meant essentially “descendant of Hugh” or “son of Hugh.” The underlying name Hugh comes from a Germanic root associated with “mind,” “heart,” or “spirit.”
History
The surname appears in English and Scottish records as a natural byname from the popular given name Hugh, and it also occurs in Irish contexts through anglicized forms of related Gaelic names and spellings. Historical sources note a cluster of variants, including Howie, Hoey, Huey, Huet, and Hughey, showing how fluid the spelling was. In the United States, Huey is best known as a relatively uncommon surname but one that spread widely enough to establish several regional branches.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
19th-century surname dictionaries often grouped Huey with a whole family of Hugh-derived spellings, showing how one medieval nickname could generate many modern surnames.
From the historical record
“Hodson. HUEY. Huet. 410. Hughey. Huggixs. [Higgins]. 485. [Hogan]. 134. Hughes.”
— Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland