The name combines Hugo with sonnerie, the French word for a ringtone or ringing sound, which explains how listeners search for and share the clip online. It circulates on soundboards as a short, downloadable phone alert rather than as a song or voice line. Because the sound is wordless and instantly understood, creators reuse it across languages for call scenes, contact ringtones, and notification jokes. Its popularity comes from that practical simplicity, as a few seconds of ringing immediately tells an audience a phone needs attention.