Hughey
A surname built from the given name Hugh, originally meaning “son of Hugh” or “little Hugh.”
The #5,124 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 45,204 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Hughey is a surname formed from the personal name Hugh, with the ending used in a familiar or diminutive sense. In practice, it developed as a pet-form surname, essentially meaning “Hugh’s son” or “descended from Hugh.” The same formation appears in related surnames such as Huey and Hewey.
History
The historical excerpts treat Hughey as a variant of Huey and connect it to the common medieval name Hugh. In Irish and Scottish name lists it appears among surnames that later standardised in several spellings, especially in English-speaking records. The name is now found chiefly in the United States, where it has persisted as a less common but established family name.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Bardsley notes that Huey/Hughey-type surnames were especially well established in Philadelphia.
From the historical record
“Huey. — Bapt. < the son of Hugh/ from the pet form Hughey ; cf. Charley and Teddy for Charles and Edward. Hew was as familiar a form as Hugh (v. Hew). This surname has ramified strongly in Philadelphia. It is rare in”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (alternate scan)