Discover and Shortlist Your Perfect Baby Names!

Hu as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Hu

♡Add to my Name List

The baby name Hu is a Male name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced English: /huː/ ("hoo"),Mandarin pinyin 'Hu': [xu] (tones vary by character — e.g., Hú 胡 [xu˧˥], Hǔ 虎 [xu˨˩˦]),Korean (후): /hu/.

Hu is Chinese, Egyptian, English, Korean, Turkish in Origin.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 1.0
Origin: Chinese, Egyptian, English, Korean, Turkish
Pronunciation: English: /huː/ ("hoo"),Mandarin pinyin 'Hu': [xu] (tones vary by character — e.g., Hú 胡 [xu˧˥], Hǔ 虎 [xu˨˩˦]),Korean (후): /hu/

What is the meaning of the name Hu ?

The baby name Hu is a Male name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced English: /huː/ ("hoo"),Mandarin pinyin 'Hu': [xu] (tones vary by character — e.g., Hú 胡 [xu˧˥], Hǔ 虎 [xu˨˩˦]),Korean (후): /hu/.

Hu is Chinese, Egyptian, English, Korean, Turkish in Origin.

Hu is a compact cross-cultural name most strongly tied to Chinese. In Mandarin pinyin it is Hú (second tone), widely known as the surname 胡, and as a given name it may use other characters such as 湖 “lake,” 瑚 “coral,” 护/護 Hù “to protect,” or 虎 Hǔ “tiger” (tone matters for meaning). The name is typically unisex, though 虎‑skewed spellings lean masculine. Meanings vary by character, often evoking nature, strength, or guardianship.

As a Chinese surname, Hu has been recorded since pre‑imperial times and is borne across East and Southeast Asia. Transliterations include Hoo (Hokkien/Teochew and Southeast Asia), Wu/Woo in Cantonese contexts, Hồ in Vietnamese, and Ho in Korean Sino‑reading. Beyond East Asia, Hu also names the Egyptian principle of creative utterance - the divine Word - lending an abstract, philosophical aura. As a given name, it is rare but usable internationally, with meaning determined by the chosen character.

Hu has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Hu

Hu Jintao Politician · Born 1942 · People's Republic of China Hu Jintao is a Chinese politician who served as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China from 2002 to 2012, making him the paramount leader of China during that period. He is known for his leadership style that emphasized collective decision-making and a focus on economic growth and development. Under his leadership, China experienced significant economic expansion and increased its influence on the global stage. Hu Yaobang Politician · Born 1915 · People's Republic of China Hu Yaobang was a prominent Chinese politician, best known for his role as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China in the 1980s. He played a significant part in the reform and opening-up policies that transformed China's economy. His death in 1989 sparked widespread public mourning and protests, which contributed to the events leading up to the Tiananmen Square protests. Hu Ge Actor · Born 1982 · People's Republic of China Hu Ge is a Chinese actor best known for his role in the popular television series 'Chinese Paladin'. Born in 1982 in the People's Republic of China, he has also starred in 'Nirvana in Fire' and 'The Disguiser', showcasing his versatility and talent in various genres.

Hu – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
KH 0 #3 1 102
MV 0 #16 4 644
MV Girls 0 #35 1 2,021
AZ 0 #43 1 706
CN 0 #53 33 3,857
MV Boys 0 #66 12 3,375
AF 0 #76 1 1,883
TW 0 #87 14 4,523
AF Girls 0 #94 1 2,402
BN Girls 0 #113 2 5,459
KW 0 #121 1 5,216
EE Boys 0 #125 1 2,087
CN Boys 0 #129 255 9,639
IQ 0 #129 5 3,533
AZ Boys 0 #131 1 1,400
BN Boys 0 #135 5 6,332
ID Boys 0 #135 1 4,130
JO 0 #140 1 2,158
CN Girls 0 #145 284 8,829
BW Girls 0 #151 1 4,216
MT Girls 0 #153 1 3,773
CR 0 #165 1 5,526
HU Boys 0 #169 6 3,954
AE 0 #186 2 10,220
TW Boys 0 #190 52 7,111
MO Boys 0 #197 27 5,842
SI Boys 0 #210 2 3,402
PL 0 #212 1 2,600
LU Boys 0 #220 1 4,970
HU Girls 0 #223 3 3,308
PS 0 #226 1 5,692
IR 0 #229 3 4,221
SG 0 #233 37 11,010
BD 0 #234 8 5,992
MO Girls 0 #236 16 7,056
NA Girls 0 #237 1 7,146
TW Girls 0 #243 34 8,139
AO Boys 0 #244 6 5,568
JP Girls 0 #250 2 6,592
NA Boys 0 #252 2 6,830
HR Boys 0 #259 1 3,997
NG 0 #272 1 5,926
JM Girls 0 #278 1 7,507
JM Boys 0 #292 2 6,876
HR Girls 0 #293 2 3,687
JP Boys 0 #296 8 7,909
CZ Boys 0 #298 8 6,530
AL Boys 0 #303 1 5,122
SA 0 #305 8 10,560
MY 0 #311 20 12,352
SD Boys 0 #313 134 10,523
PL Boys 0 #322 14 6,459
PE 0 #329 1 6,350
SD Girls 0 #329 17 7,678
DK Boys 0 #330 3 7,401
QA Girls 0 #335 9 15,378
GH Girls 0 #336 2 6,973
GT 0 #338 1 5,948
JO Girls 0 #338 2 7,570
CZ Girls 0 #351 1 5,378
HK 0 #353 5 8,483
MU Girls 0 #359 4 8,539
BR 0 #360 1 5,969
GH Boys 0 #361 1 8,138
MU Boys 0 #363 7 8,477
PH Boys 0 #371 13 11,440
PT Boys 0 #377 5 7,951
JO Boys 0 #384 6 7,057
OM Girls 0 #386 11 15,987
YE 0 #390 9 8,639
EG 0 #391 10 6,387
BD Girls 0 #401 6 8,413
BO 0 #408 1 6,868
UY Boys 0 #411 3 5,922
SG Girls 0 #415 174 18,916
Austria Boys 0 #425 18 2,180
PH Girls 0 #425 5 13,098
CL 0 #433 2 6,867
IQ Girls 0 #434 71 11,303
MX 0 #445 1 8,339
HK Boys 0 #447 81 12,905
AR Boys 0 #457 11 7,628
PT Girls 0 #471 1 7,952
SG Boys 0 #472 232 17,960
RU Boys 0 #494 12 12,621
GT Boys 0 #498 2 7,625
PA Boys 0 #504 2 9,305
CO 0 #508 3 7,768
CR Boys 0 #509 2 10,188
LY 0 #511 25 12,703
PA Girls 0 #516 3 9,861
RU Girls 0 #520 4 11,913
AE Girls 0 #533 21 20,968
HK Girls 0 #535 81 16,104
BH 0 #542 12 17,937
IR Boys 0 #543 10 10,162
IR Girls 0 #543 3 8,334
PS Girls 0 #547 1 10,981
IQ Boys 0 #548 120 13,071
BD Boys 0 #553 24 10,045
KW Girls 0 #553 9 19,177
PS Boys 0 #558 4 10,655
CM Boys 0 #575 1 12,054
BO Boys 0 #616 7 9,244
IL Boys 0 #620 6 10,983
AR Girls 0 #628 3 8,289
IL Girls 0 #644 2 11,648
LB 0 #644 15 13,263
CL Boys 0 #650 16 13,390
BO Girls 0 #651 1 9,488
IN Girls 0 #652 3 13,121
QA Boys 0 #689 19 18,093
IT 0 #699 16 4,183
SY 0 #714 15 11,684
KW Boys 0 #734 36 18,755
EG Boys 0 #744 143 15,035
BR Boys 0 #781 5 12,213
EG Girls 0 #791 169 14,742
Germany Girls 0 #814 25 4,949
TN 0 #816 14 13,765
NG Girls 0 #826 1 15,093
MY Girls 0 #831 164 24,821
MY Boys 0 #837 280 25,439
SA Girls 0 #839 97 25,931
OM Boys 0 #847 35 17,948
MA 0 #849 284 20,986
PE Boys 0 #855 24 14,506
Germany Boys 0 #872 81 5,697
CO Boys 0 #894 27 15,656
Spain Boys 0 #902 29 5,610
CL Girls 0 #914 2 14,098
NL Boys 0 #914 38 5,873
NL Girls 0 #936 20 5,933
MX Boys 0 #955 28 16,355
Spain Girls 0 #968 16 5,561
IN Boys 0 #983 19 16,750
BR Girls 0 #990 3 12,708
NG Boys 0 #993 9 16,906
PE Girls 0 #1,008 3 14,861
IT Boys 0 #1,038 443 10,046
AE Boys 0 #1,067 26 22,615
DZ 0 #1,098 79 20,130
ZA Girls 0 #1,130 12 25,928
CO Girls 0 #1,150 3 16,140
ZA Boys 0 #1,164 15 25,619
TR 0 #1,170 42 19,440
IT Girls 0 #1,205 242 9,415
MX Girls 0 #1,265 3 17,781
SA Boys 0 #1,401 214 28,008

Hu is popular in 74 countries — most recent births per country:

AE
AF
AL
AO
AR

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Hu

Hu is predominantly a boy's name.
Hu is a one syllable name, pronounced English: /huː/ ("hoo"),Mandarin pinyin 'Hu': [xu] (tones vary by character — e.g., Hú 胡 [xu˧˥], Hǔ 虎 [xu˨˩˦]),Korean (후): /hu/.
Common nicknames and spelling variations include 胡 (Hú), 虎 (Hǔ), 湖 (Hú), 忽 (Hū), 후 (Hu/Hoo and Korean).
Across languages, Hu has these equivalents: Hugh (English, similar-sounding/related in medieval usage), Hồ (Vietnamese surname equivalent to Chinese 胡), Hu / 후 (Korean romanization equivalents).
Hu is a name of Chinese origin, traditionally used in China. It doesn't appear in the major international birth registries we track, but it is an established name within China and its diaspora communities.
Yes — 3 notable people named Hu are in our database, including Hu Jintao (Politician), Hu Yaobang (Politician), Hu Ge (Actor).