Harlow Unisex

Popularity: #291 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: HAR-loh //ˈhɑːrloʊ//

Origin: English; Old English

Meaning: English: army hill; Old English: hare hill

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Harlow has its roots in Old English, deriving from the elements "here," meaning army, and "hlaw," meaning hill or mound. This etymological combination suggests a geographical or topographical significance, likely referring to a hill where an army might gather or a burial mound.

The name entered the English lexicon through various forms, evolving from its Old English origins into Middle English before becoming established in modern usage. Harlow is also associated with several locations in England, which may have contributed to its adoption as a given name.

Historically, the name Harlow can be traced back to the 13th century, with references to places named Harlow in Essex, England. The town of Harlow was documented in the Domesday Book of 1086, indicating its long-standing presence in English history.

Although not directly linked to any prominent biblical figures or saints, the name's geographical significance has lent it a degree of historical importance, particularly in relation to the development of English place names and their influence on personal names. Culturally, Harlow carries connotations of strength and resilience, reflective of its meaning related to armies and hills.

The name has been utilized in various literary and artistic contexts, often symbolizing a connection to heritage and the landscape of England. Its association with specific locales has also fostered a sense of identity for those bearing the name.

While diminutive forms like "Har" may arise informally, Harlow itself remains a name with a rich historical and cultural backdrop, rooted in the landscape and history of England.

Famous people named Harlow

In this section, you will find notable people named Harlow. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Harlow who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Harlow who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Harlow Shapley was an astronomer best known for his work on the Milky Way and the concept of the Shapley-Curtis debate.

Fictional characters named Harlow

The following list of fictional characters named Harlow is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Harlow is a fictional character from the video game series Dead by Daylight. They are a survivor known for their resilience and resourcefulness in escaping from deadly killers.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Harlow, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

HarperHavenHollyHazelHattieHilda

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Harlow was first seen in the United States in 1882.

Harlow has ranked as high as #464 nationally, which occurred in 2023, and has been most popular in California, Texas, New York, Ohio, and Florida.

In the past 5 years the name Harlow has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Harlow is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Harlow was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Harlow.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 1,148 167 981
2024 1,242 159 1,083
2023 1,455 182 1,273
2022 1,365 166 1,199
2021 1,364 86 1,278
2020 1,020 61 959
2019 1,054 45 1,009
2018 909 46 863
2017 836 38 798
2016 821 35 786
2015 783 24 759
2014 646 35 611
2013 576 31 545
2012 540 33 507
2011 478 13 465
2010 375 21 354
2009 319 18 301
2008 143 10 133
2007 28 0 28
2006 24 9 15
2005 11 0 11
2004 12 0 12
2003 16 6 10
2002 6 0 6
1995 5 5 0
1991 5 5 0
1988 5 5 0
1977 5 5 0
1976 7 7 0
1973 9 9 0
1970 6 6 0
1969 10 10 0
1965 5 5 0
1964 5 5 0
1962 8 8 0
1961 14 14 0
1960 9 9 0
1959 10 10 0
1958 12 12 0
1957 8 8 0
1956 20 20 0
1955 12 12 0
1954 12 12 0
1953 16 16 0
1952 17 17 0
1951 11 11 0
1950 15 15 0
1949 17 17 0
1948 19 19 0
1947 23 23 0
1946 19 19 0
1945 21 21 0
1944 27 27 0
1943 19 19 0
1942 21 21 0
1941 26 26 0
1940 33 33 0
1939 28 28 0
1938 31 31 0
1937 27 27 0
1936 41 41 0
1935 31 31 0
1934 36 36 0
1933 31 31 0
1932 38 38 0
1931 33 33 0
1930 29 29 0
1929 26 26 0
1928 26 26 0
1927 44 44 0
1926 37 37 0
1925 23 23 0
1924 32 32 0
1923 36 36 0
1922 31 31 0
1921 42 42 0
1920 32 32 0
1919 33 33 0
1918 45 45 0
1917 32 32 0
1916 46 46 0
1915 36 36 0
1914 30 30 0
1913 21 21 0
1912 20 20 0
1911 6 6 0
1910 5 5 0
1906 8 8 0
1905 6 6 0
1904 7 7 0
1901 5 5 0
1900 10 10 0
1898 7 7 0
1896 5 5 0
1895 7 7 0
1894 5 5 0
1893 5 5 0
1892 6 6 0
1891 6 6 0
1887 5 5 0
1885 5 5 0
1884 8 8 0
1883 5 5 0
1882 5 5 0

Top States for Harlow (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 113
10%
TX 106
9%
FL 58
5%
OH 57
5%
PA 55
5%
NY 47
4%
IL 44
4%
WA 40
3%
NC 39
3%
WI 37
3%
KY 32
3%
MO 31
3%
CO 30
3%
AZ 30
3%
TN 29
3%
MI 29
3%
MN 28
2%
MD 25
2%
UT 25
2%
NJ 23
2%
OR 22
2%
GA 20
2%
IA 20
2%
IN 20
2%
OK 19
2%
KS 18
2%
VA 17
1%
SC 15
1%
LA 13
1%
ID 12
1%
AR 12
1%
MA 11
1%
NE 11
1%
WV 11
1%
CT 9
1%
AL 9
1%
NH 9
1%
NV 7
1%
MS 6
1%
MT 6
1%