To me Hugo is a sweet and slightly posh English boys name, popular but not overused, with a nice meaning (mind/spirit) which is usually my taste exactly 
When I looked it up on namberry all the ‘similar names’ are characters from Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables 
we are musical theatre fans so there is a chance friends and family would make that assumption if we used the name. So, I’m wondering how strong that association is for other people and what you would think of when you hear Hugo?
Hugo is too established as a first name for me to associate it with Victor Hugo. The association is there, but I don’t automatically think of it when I hear the name. To me Hugo feels studious & dark academia-ish but also cool and laid-back. It’s a really nice choice!
I agree with this! I also find it warm, friendly and fun. I love an O ending. I don’t associate it with Les Mis at all, to be honest. My musical theatre knowledge is very limited!
When I think [name_m]Hugo[/name_m], I think young [name_u]French[/name_u] boy only because I read The Invention of [name_m]Hugo[/name_m] Cabret by [name_m]Brian[/name_m] Selznick (which is a great book btw!). [name_m]Hugo[/name_m] has been on my list for a long time, it’s my favorite H name for a boy!
@tallemaja yes I definitely see the dark academia thing!
@EdgeOfTheMeadow absolutely love an O ending too, it works well with our surname. That’s good to know!
@babynames17 oh yes I know the one you mean! For some reason I always think of Hugo as vaguely originating as Scottish but I’m not sure why…maybe I’ve met a couple of Scottish Hugos in the past 
[name_m]Victor[/name_m] [name_m]Hugo[/name_m] is my immediate associations. Vibe-wise, [name_m]Hugo[/name_m] reminds me very much of [name_m]Bruno[/name_m].
Interesting, it’s very similar sounding of course but my main associations with Bruno are Bruno Tonioli from Strictly, and obviously now Encanto Personally, I’ve met more pets than people called Bruno so I’m not sure what vibe it would have on a person for me.
I get the posh vibes from [name_m]Hugo[/name_m], though the two Hugos I’ve met were not like that at all 
Still, I think [name_m]Hugo[/name_m] is popular enough that I wouldn’t assume it was chosen for [name_m]Victor[/name_m] [name_m]Hugo[/name_m] - unless you were a fan of the book and talked about it all the time.
It feels European, bookish, stately to me.
@Greyblue thank you!
@southern.maple absolutely love this description, thanks 
Yours is a perfect description! I agree with all of this. Hugo and poised yet playful, colorful yet contained. Feels academic and scholarly, like a brick building school and Oxford shoes. But, I imagine a Hugo at that school as a playful boy. Soft curls and a grin! It’s such a historic gem of a name, and it’s lovely to spell and say. I agree with some previous posters that it doesn’t feel like an obvious “Les Mis” association! I think of
as well before Victor Hugo, and I too am a musical theatre person (side note: Cosette and Hugo are a divine sibset, on the musical theatre topic 
).
Refined, 1920-1940’s , British vibes
All positive associations for me.
[name_m]Hugh[/name_m] is a nice NN too, nothing objectively bad about it.
what a lovely description this is. Ultimately I don’t mind that the Les Mis connection is there - I do love the book and musical after all - I just don’t want it to be the very first thing people would think of so I’m really glad that this academic vibe takes precedence for most.
@LynnG agreed, there is definitely a vintage feeling to it which I really like!
I think of [name_m]Hugh[/name_m] [name_m]Grant[/name_m], [name_m]Hugh[/name_m] Jackman, [name_m]Hugh[/name_m] Hefner… and also the movie [name_m]Hugo[/name_m] which I haven’t even seen. [name_m]Ive[/name_m] never met a [name_m]Hugo[/name_m]. I also think of “huge” hah!