Harlow

Harlow - A very unique male name

Harlow appeared on the charts for the first time in 1912 on position #1039. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Harlow and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Harlow? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Harlow. The baby boy name Harlow was given to 94 baby boys in 2025, ranking #1321 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 15,599 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Harlow peaked in popularity 94 years ago in 1932 on position 989.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Harlow, 1-5?

Harlow is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Harlow is currently topping the baby name charts in Oregon at position #496 - and is the least popular in Florida at position #1,935.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Harlow is where you live.

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Harlow origin and meaning

English surname and place name, transferred

Uncertain — the place name Harlow is read either as 'rock hill' or 'army hill' from Old English elements

Harlow is an Essex place name carried by a surname, with its Old English elements argued two ways. As a boys' name it was sporadic for a century and has only recently gathered real use, jumping sharply since 2020. For boys it remains the much rarer side of a name now led by girls.

Origin uncertain

Harlow is a 6 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Harlow, pop culture references for the name Harlow and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Harlow

We've found the following names that sound similar to Harlow, sorted by popularity.

Harley / Harrell / Hurley / Huriel / Harrel / Harlie / Harlee / Hearl / Harl / Harel /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Harlow

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Harlow a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Harlow?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

HAR-loh · /ˈhɑːrloʊ/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Famous bearers

None yet — no bearer for this name is documented well enough for us to list, so we show none rather than pad the list.

Style

SurnamePlace name

Why parents choose it

Parents choose Harlow for a son for its soft-surname style — the same vintage-Hollywood polish the name has for girls, in a far less crowded field.

Worth knowing

• Strongly associated with girls at present, and with Jean Harlow's surname — expect to explain it is his first name.
• Can be misheard as Harlan or Marlowe.