Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Deciding between Edward and Hugo?

31 replies

Ophelia55 · 19/05/2023 23:07

One is my favourite, the other is my husband’s favourite: we are at an impasse! Both have family connections/personal meaning. Which do you prefer?!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
lulalulalula · 20/05/2023 23:38

Hugo much better.

Edward - every one I've come across never uses their full name but if ever I hear it it sounds like Ed Wood.

Bubblyb00b · 20/05/2023 22:42

Edward is lovely, Ed or Eddie also very nice.

Hugo - well, for me its a synonym for a "posh middle aged twat".

Restinggoddess · 20/05/2023 22:38

Hugo

AlmostHeaven · 20/05/2023 22:37

Edward, I like Ed for short.

Hugo is awful imo. I don’t think it’s seems right on a baby, toddler, teen or grown man.

FuckoffeeBeforeCoffee · 20/05/2023 22:33

I have a Hugo and I've loved the name since I was little. The "posh" connotations almost put me off but I decided I didn't care enough in the end.

I've never loved Edward.

Schum · 20/05/2023 22:25

Much prefer Hugo.

IamnotwhouthinkIam · 20/05/2023 21:45

Edward is a perennial classic - always popular so you can't guess how old or what background an Edward is. Plus so many different nicknames to pick from if he dislikes it.

Hugo is suddenly popular so might date (part of the currently fashionable ending in "O" trend - see Theo, Leo, Arlo, Milo...). Plus to anyone older it's has "posh name" connotations (hence the stereotype of Hugo Horton on Vicar of Dibley). I do have a real soft spot for simple, old fashioned Hugh though...😉

saraclara · 20/05/2023 21:23

I very much dislike Hugo. It's so uncomfortable to say. My tongue and mouth muscles really have to do a workout.

Edward is so much nicer and has lots of choice for nicknames.

simonthedog · 20/05/2023 21:13

I don't like Hugo at all.

LiquoriceAllsorts2 · 20/05/2023 21:03

Hugo. I really like it and definitely prefer it over Edward.

marshmallowmatcha · 20/05/2023 18:13

Edward or Hugh

Epicstorm · 20/05/2023 18:12

Love Edward. Don’t like Hugo at all.

DustyLee123 · 20/05/2023 18:09

Edward

SunsetOverEasterIsland · 20/05/2023 18:08

Hugo for me

ourflagmeansdeath · 20/05/2023 18:04

Hugo

FortofPud · 20/05/2023 14:19

I like both. They also sound good together - can you make the other the middle name and just flip a coin to decide?!

ZoyaTheDestroyer · 20/05/2023 14:17

Edward is timeless. You’re correct that Hugo is a very old name but its current wave of popularity is recent and means that it will date him as a 2020s baby. It really depends whether or not that bothers you.

Comedycook · 20/05/2023 14:15

I prefer Edward...it has more nickname potential so he could be Edward at work or Eddie with his mates.

Hugo is a bit hooray Henry for my liking

Original poster
Ophelia55 · 20/05/2023 14:13

@helpmenamemybaby Thank you! I’m so surprised people think of Hugo as a new name—it was first used in the early 8th century, and actually predates Edward!

OP posts:
helpmenamemybaby · 20/05/2023 13:37

I have a Hugo so obviously I love the name.

Some people say it is posh/stuffy but it's a top 50 name right now so I think that's a fairly minority viewpoint. It might not be as timeless as Edward but my great great grandfather (born in 1864) was a Hugo, so it's not a new name either. My husband is French and I'm British and we really wanted a bilingual name. It's also very popular in other European countries like Spain and Germany and I love the fact that it travels well.

That said, Edward is a lovely name too so you can't really go wrong whatever you decide.

Doingmybest12 · 20/05/2023 13:32

Really don't like Hugo.

Original poster
Ophelia55 · 20/05/2023 13:30

Thanks all. These are the names of a grandfather on each side so we aren’t really concerned about the connotations of the name (popular or stuffy!).

Aside: We can’t use Hugh or Edmund, as both have already been used by extended family.

OP posts:
DuchessOfSausage · 20/05/2023 10:44

Hugo isn't stuffy. It's very trendy now. Hugh is better.
Edward is fine but Ted/Teddy and Ned are awful.

Luredbyapomegranate · 20/05/2023 10:02

They are both nice

Edward has been super popular and Hugo is having a real moment, so either way he’s going to have a fair few peers with the same name.

I’d probably go with Edward as more flexibility for short forms if he wants them. I’d avoid Teddy as v overdone right now.

garlictwist · 20/05/2023 04:23

Edward a million times. Hugo is very stuffy.

Swipe left for the next trending thread