Given name & surname
Barlow
“from the bare hill”
Barlow is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “from the bare hill.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “from the bare hill.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1917. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Barlow through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 118
- 118 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1953
- 10 babies
- 2025
- 7
- #9,826 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +100%
- Rising fast
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 7 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 9,826 among boys’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. Its largest published annual count for boys was 10 in 1953. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 182 as a first name in 2020; 32,516 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Barlow’s family of names
Barlow has a related form in Barlo. Barlow has a related form in Barloe. Barlow has a related form in Barlowe.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 7
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Similar names
If you love Barlow, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Bradford
“from the wide ford”
>99% boys
Artis
“lofty hill; noble” · “rock”
94% boys · 6% girls
Carnell
“the defender of the castle”
>99% boys
Stanford
“from the stony ford”
>99% boys
Bill
“the determined protector” · “will”
>99% boys
Waymond
Waymond is a masculine given name.
>99% boys
Stanton
“from the stone town”
>99% boys
Al
“one who counsels the elves” · “one who is noble and bright”
>99% boys