Arlo vs Hugo
Arlo and Hugocompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Arlo was ranked #12 and Hugo #23 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Arlo was ranked #15 and Hugo #46 among boys in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Arlo was ranked #47 and Hugo #18 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Arlo was ranked #18 and Hugo #135 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Arlo was ranked #54 and Hugo #42 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Arlo was ranked #45 and Hugo #81 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Arlo and Hugo over time
Arlo and Hugo appear together in 5 published lists, across 78 years of shared records. Hugo held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Arlo in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Arlo reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Hugo in 1. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2016, Arlo moved ahead of Hugo in England and Wales · Boys — #102 and #55 the year before became #49 and #50.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Arlo and Hugo changed places 4 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 2015 and 2025, ending at #47 and #18.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Arlo #14 in 2023, Hugo #45 in 2021.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys26 shared years, 1999–2024
Arlo held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Hugo in 17.
Highest recorded here: Arlo #14 in 2023, Hugo #45 in 2021.
The order changed in 2016: Arlo moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #102 and #55; by 2016 that had become #49 and #50.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Arlo #15, Hugo #46.
Republic of Ireland · Boys17 shared years, 2009–2025
Arlo held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Hugo in 15.
Highest recorded here: Arlo #48 in 2024, Hugo #42 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Arlo #54, Hugo #42.
Northern Ireland · Boys13 shared years, 2011–2024
Arlo held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Hugo in 3.
Highest recorded here: Arlo #40 in 2023, Hugo #67 in 2023.
The order changed in 2015: Arlo moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #281 and #191; by 2015 that had become #211 and #237.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Arlo #45, Hugo #81.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys11 shared years, 2015–2025
Arlo held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Hugo in 9.
Highest recorded here: Arlo #19 in 2023, Hugo #18 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Arlo #47, Hugo #18.
New Zealand · Boys11 shared years, 2013–2023
Arlo held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Hugo in 2.
Highest recorded here: Arlo #10 in 2017, Hugo #23 in 2023.
The order changed in 2016: Arlo moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #59 and #56; by 2016 that had become #23 and #54.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Arlo #12, Hugo #23.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Arlo | Hugo |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Meaning uncertain — likely derived by Edmund Spenser from the real Irish place name Aherlow ('between two highlands') for the fictional Arlo Hill in The Faerie Queene (1590). | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Irish (place name origin, via literary adaptation) | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɑɹ.loʊ/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #47 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #18 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Arlo has a recorded origin (Irish (place name origin, via literary adaptation)); Hugo does not have one recorded yet.
- Arlo and Hugo both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Arlo; Hugo doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Arlo
Popularity journey
First recorded1999
First recorded at #2943 among boys in England and Wales in 1999 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2013–2023
Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in New Zealand, in 2017 (recorded 2013–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #47 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Hugo
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #186 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded2009–2025
Highest recorded position: #18 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025 (recorded 2009–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #18 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys