Marlow

Marlow - A very unique male name

Marlow appeared on the charts for the first time in 1926 on position #1866. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Marlow and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Marlow? 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 Marlow. The baby boy name Marlow was given to 19 baby boys in 2025, ranking #2491 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 77,173 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Marlow peaked in popularity 92 years ago in 1934 on position 1231.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Marlow, 1-5?

Marlow is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Marlow is currently topping the baby name charts in Oklahoma at position #769 - and is the least popular in California at position #2,123.

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 Marlow is where you live.

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Marlow origin and meaning

English surname and place name

Transferred surname, a variant of Marlowe, from English place names

Marlow is a surname and place name transferred to first-name use, with a scattered history since 1926. Playwright Christopher Marlowe spells the surname with a final -e, so he is credited here rather than listed. Recent US use for boys is rising from a very low base.

Attested etymology

Marlow is a 6 letter name with 2 syllables.

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

Similar to Marlow

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

Merle / Merrill / Marley / Marlo / Merl / Murl / Maurilio / Marlowe / Murrell / Mearl /

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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 Marlow

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 Marlow 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 Marlow?

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

MAR-loh · /ˈmɑrloʊ/

Around the world

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

Spellings and nicknames

• Marlowe — Surname spelling with final -e
• Marlo — Short spelling, a separate entry

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 nameLiterary

Why parents choose it

Marlow has a literary surname polish in the Marlowe tradition.

Worth knowing

• Also rising for girls, and the final -e spelling question never goes away.