Given name & surname
Marlow
“resembling driftwood”
Marlow is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “resembling driftwood.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “resembling driftwood.”
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 1910. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Marlow through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 4,096
- 2,193 boys · 1,903 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 259 babies
- 2025
- 259
- #1,167 for girls · #2,323 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +69%
- Rising fast
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 24% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 199 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 1,167 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 62.0% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 60 birth records for boys in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (16). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,176 as a first name in 2020; 12,433 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.
Marlow’s family of names
Marlow has a related form in Marlo. Marlow has a related form in Marlo. Marlow has a related form in Marlowe.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Marlow
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Marlow, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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