Huey

♂ Boy

Pronounced HYOO-ee /ˈhjuː.i/Medium

Meaning: Mind, thought, spiritMedium

In 30 seconds: Huey is an English boy's name carrying the sense 'mind, thought, spirit'. It began as a friendly short form of Hugh.

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Origin MediumEnglish

MeaningMind, thought, spirit

U.S. rank (2025)#2955 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births42 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1935

Total births (all-time)≈ 7,097

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Huey grew up as a pet form of Hugh, whose root reaches back to the idea of mind, thought, or spirit. It sits beside Hughie and Hewie as a casual spelling, while Hugo and the French Hugues show the fuller versions of the same name. Its warmth comes from that nickname history rather than a separate origin.

The bright, two-syllable sound gives Huey an easy, approachable feel. The baseball figure Hughie Jennings (1869-1928) and the hockey goaltender Hughie Lehman (1885-1961) both carried a close spelling of the name.

Did you know? Huey is a spelling variant of Hughie, so it keeps the same core meaning of 'mind, thought, spirit' while changing the visual style.

Overall data confidence 78%

Behind the Name - Huey — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

HughieHewieHugHugoHugues

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

★Hughie Jennings (1869–1928)
Baseball player with Louisville AA, Louisville NL, Baltimore NL, Brooklyn NL, Philadelphia NL, Detroit AL.
★Hughie Lehman (1885–1961)
Hockey player, position G, with the 1908-28 Berlin Dutchmen (OPHL), Galt (OPHL), New Westminster Royals (PCHA), Vancouver Millionaires, Vancouver Maroons, Chicago Blackhawks.

If you like Huey…

Hugo— A fuller form of the same name carrying the 'mind, spirit' root.

Harley— echoes that soft -ey sound

Huntley— lands in the same popularity range

Henley— another English name

Rodney— shares Huey's English roots

Explore names like Huey

By themeenglish

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Huey mean?

Huey is usually explained as meaning 'mind, thought, spirit' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Huey?

It's commonly said HYOO-ee /ˈhjuː.i/.

Is Huey a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Huey is used as a boy name.

How popular is Huey?

In 2024, Huey ranked #2917 in the U.S. for boys, with 43 births recorded.