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Baby names

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

Nico or Hugo?

41 replies

Vivienne88 · 22/02/2025 14:54

For a European / Aussie boy living in Australia. Criteria - timeless, suits baby / adult, can work across cultures.

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username462025 · 22/02/2025 14:56

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MistyF · 22/02/2025 15:13

I prefer Hugo, to both Nicholas and Nico

peudhrk · 22/02/2025 15:13

I love Nico, I find Hugo a tad pretentious.

LiquoriceAllsorts2 · 22/02/2025 15:58

Hugo, love it.

not keen on Nico

LesbianNana · 22/02/2025 16:06

I love Nico, I dislike Hugo. If you name him Hugo he’ll be born a 55 year old man with a monocle.

LesbianNana · 22/02/2025 16:10

Oh an Aussie boy? Then definitely Nico, he’ll be a little surfer boy, always flipping his blond hair out of his eyes but he won’t cut it.

holly1483 · 22/02/2025 16:14

Love Nico, also find Hugo a bit pretentious. In Australia he'll likely be nicknamed something for ending in O, so you could also considered Nicholas/Nick and his mates will most likely call him Nico anyway!

Moreteaandchocolate · 22/02/2025 16:36

I prefer Hugo

BootballJoy · 22/02/2025 18:34

Nico

PercyFone · 22/02/2025 19:09

I like Nicholas, nn Nico.

ByQuaintAzureWasp · 22/02/2025 19:42

LiquoriceAllsorts2 · 22/02/2025 15:58

Hugo, love it.

not keen on Nico

This

shoopshoopdedoo · 22/02/2025 20:48

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I agree!

Ellmau · 22/02/2025 21:02

Hugo. Unlike PP, I think Nico is the pretentious one.

IamnotwhouthinkIam · 22/02/2025 23:22

I personally like a classic so I’d go for Nicholas or underused Hugh. But if I had to pick between the Hugo and Nico, then I definitely much prefer the sound of Nico - as despite its popularity now Hugo is still a bit “stereotypical UC/public school” to me (like similar Rupert).

peudhrk · 22/02/2025 23:25

Hugo is still a bit “stereotypical UC/public school” to me (like similar Rupert).

I agree, it's in the same try hard category that Tarquin is in, for me.

RogueFemale · 22/02/2025 23:34

@Vivienne88 The name Hugo is a cliche for an English Tory boy, like Boris Johnson pals. Just awful.

Nico is just a nickname. Nicholas is a great name, and adaptable to all Western cultures, - Niccolo, Nicolas, etc

MissScarletInTheBallroom · 22/02/2025 23:35

LesbianNana · 22/02/2025 16:06

I love Nico, I dislike Hugo. If you name him Hugo he’ll be born a 55 year old man with a monocle.

Hugo is a top 50 name in the UK currently and a top 10-20 name in many other countries.

Blondiney · 22/02/2025 23:37

Nico

IamnotwhouthinkIam · 22/02/2025 23:40

I’ve met a few toddler Hugo’s now as it rapidly rises in popularity, so I’m sure that image will fade in time in the UK (just like Henry as “Hooray Henry” has)- OP just needs to be aware that amongst the older generations it hasn’t quite yet. Won’t be an issue internationally or something his peers at school will be aware of though (but of the two I’d still pick Nico - it’s a nickname to me but it does at least sound very cool imo ).

peudhrk · 22/02/2025 23:46

@IamnotwhouthinkIam that's probably a fair comment but do feel the need to run in and say I'm only 30s myself and not ready to be called an "older generation" 😂 we don't know any Hugos in our small primary or beyond, but note it is a name growing in popularity.

I probably would have seen Henry as a posh name in primary, but def not now, as you say. So I think my kids would still see it as a posh name now, but they likely won't when they're older.

So maybe I will have a grandson called Hugo 😬 but def not a son 😂

HundredPercentUnsure · 22/02/2025 23:47

peudhrk · 22/02/2025 15:13

I love Nico, I find Hugo a tad pretentious.

Agree. Definitely Nico

HundredPercentUnsure · 22/02/2025 23:53

LesbianNana · 22/02/2025 16:06

I love Nico, I dislike Hugo. If you name him Hugo he’ll be born a 55 year old man with a monocle.

I think you've mistaken the name Hugo for Hugh, here 😆

Hugh is the 55 year old bemonocled man, dressed in tweed and also with elbow patches.

MirandaBlu · 22/02/2025 23:55

I like Nic(h)olas, Nico, and Hugh. I would probably use a longer form as the official name for Nico, but that's just my taste/preference. Hugo isn't my thing but it's a perfectly acceptable name.

My dad, one of the very ubiquitous twentieth-century Scottish Hughs, was called Shuggo (rhymes with Hugo) as a nickname. Hugo always kind of reminds me of that, so I don't see it as orders of magnitude more formal and proper than Nico even though technically Hugo has a long history as a "proper" name while Nico is a more recent abbreviation.

Joolsin · 23/02/2025 00:49

Nico 100%. Hugo just makes a horrible sound to my ears, Hugh not much better.

Kittygolightlyy · 23/02/2025 00:50

LesbianNana · 22/02/2025 16:06

I love Nico, I dislike Hugo. If you name him Hugo he’ll be born a 55 year old man with a monocle.

And red trousers