Fun Facts About the Name Harlow
- More than 16 thousand babies named Harlow: U.S. records list 16,649 babies given the name Harlow from 1880 through 2025. Of these, 2,667 boys received the name Harlow - about 1 boy for every 5 girls.
What Does the Name Harlow Mean?
Harlow is an English name meaning "army hill" or "army mound." It comes from the Old English elements here, meaning "army" or "host," and hlāw, meaning "hill, mound, barrow." The second element could describe either a natural hill or a raised burial mound, so the original sense was probably a hill or mound associated with an armed gathering or with the dead.
Harlow began as a place name, and the surname that grew from it was later transferred to use as a first name. Because the second element hlāw carries more than one shade of meaning, the exact sense of the original place name is not fully settled, though the two components themselves are generally agreed on.
Harlow Name History & Origins
Harlow is recorded first as a place name. The town of Harlow in Essex appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Herlaua, and a separate Harlow Hill lies near Harrogate in North Yorkshire. English family names were routinely formed from such place names, and Harlow was long established as a surname before it was used as a first name.
The move from surname to given name followed the general English habit of turning family names into personal names. As a middle name it appears in the early twentieth century: the actress known as Jean Harlow was born Harlean Harlow Carpenter, her middle name taken from her mother's maiden name. Harlow is now used as a first name for both boys and girls.
How Popular is the Name Harlow?
Harlow recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2021. Its best rank was #237 in 2021.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #309 | 981 | 0.0610% |
| 2024 | #293 | 1,079 | 0.0669% |
| 2023 | #237 | 1,273 | 0.0794% |
| 2022 | #263 | 1,199 | 0.0732% |
| 2021 | #237 | 1,278 | 0.0779% |
| 2020 | #323 | 959 | 0.0594% |
| 2019 | #316 | 1,009 | 0.0601% |
| 2018 | #366 | 863 | 0.0508% |
| 2017 | #390 | 798 | 0.0462% |
| 2016 | #420 | 786 | 0.0444% |
| 2015 | #422 | 759 | 0.0425% |
| 2014 | #509 | 611 | 0.0342% |
| 2013 | #546 | 545 | 0.0311% |
| 2012 | #579 | 507 | 0.0288% |
| 2011 | #623 | 465 | 0.0264% |
| 2010 | #777 | 354 | 0.0199% |
| 2009 | #905 | 301 | 0.0164% |
| 2008 | #1,679 | 133 | 0.0070% |
| 2007 | #5,145 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 2006 | #8,007 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2005 | #9,688 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2004 | #8,901 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2003 | #9,936 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2002 | #14,226 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,214 | 167 | 0.0098% |
| 2024 | #1,251 | 158 | 0.0092% |
| 2023 | #1,151 | 182 | 0.0107% |
| 2022 | #1,201 | 166 | 0.0095% |
| 2021 | #1,818 | 86 | 0.0049% |
| 2020 | #2,244 | 61 | 0.0035% |
| 2019 | #2,777 | 45 | 0.0025% |
| 2018 | #2,719 | 45 | 0.0025% |
| 2017 | #3,085 | 38 | 0.0021% |
| 2016 | #3,250 | 35 | 0.0018% |
| 2015 | #4,211 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 2014 | #3,172 | 35 | 0.0018% |
| 2013 | #3,439 | 31 | 0.0016% |
| 2012 | #3,324 | 33 | 0.0017% |
| 2011 | #6,367 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2010 | #4,575 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 2009 | #5,169 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2008 | #7,893 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2006 | #8,252 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 2003 | #10,032 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1995 | #9,362 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1991 | #8,682 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1988 | #7,707 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1977 | #6,220 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1976 | #4,604 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1973 | #3,545 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1970 | #4,439 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1969 | #2,940 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1965 | #4,137 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1964 | #4,276 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1962 | #3,149 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1961 | #2,279 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1960 | #2,954 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1959 | #2,721 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1958 | #2,423 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1957 | #3,115 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1956 | #1,778 | 20 | 0.0009% |
| 1955 | #2,358 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1954 | #2,361 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1953 | #1,994 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1952 | #1,893 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1951 | #2,422 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1950 | #1,969 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1949 | #1,850 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1948 | #1,732 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1947 | #1,572 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 1946 | #1,665 | 19 | 0.0012% |
| 1945 | #1,466 | 21 | 0.0016% |
| 1944 | #1,296 | 27 | 0.0020% |
| 1943 | #1,663 | 19 | 0.0013% |
| 1942 | #1,557 | 21 | 0.0015% |
| 1941 | #1,312 | 26 | 0.0021% |
| 1940 | #1,168 | 33 | 0.0028% |
| 1939 | #1,252 | 28 | 0.0025% |
| 1938 | #1,180 | 31 | 0.0028% |
| 1937 | #1,296 | 27 | 0.0025% |
| 1936 | #980 | 41 | 0.0040% |
| 1935 | #1,213 | 31 | 0.0030% |
| 1934 | #1,107 | 36 | 0.0035% |
| 1933 | #1,191 | 31 | 0.0031% |
| 1932 | #1,098 | 38 | 0.0036% |
| 1931 | #1,202 | 33 | 0.0032% |
| 1930 | #1,351 | 29 | 0.0026% |
| 1929 | #1,426 | 26 | 0.0024% |
| 1928 | #1,471 | 26 | 0.0023% |
| 1927 | #1,070 | 44 | 0.0039% |
| 1926 | #1,181 | 37 | 0.0033% |
| 1925 | #1,604 | 23 | 0.0021% |
| 1924 | #1,308 | 32 | 0.0028% |
| 1923 | #1,202 | 36 | 0.0033% |
| 1922 | #1,319 | 31 | 0.0028% |
| 1921 | #1,095 | 42 | 0.0038% |
| 1920 | #1,287 | 32 | 0.0030% |
| 1919 | #1,238 | 33 | 0.0034% |
| 1918 | #1,003 | 45 | 0.0044% |
| 1917 | #1,206 | 32 | 0.0035% |
| 1916 | #943 | 46 | 0.0052% |
| 1915 | #1,075 | 36 | 0.0042% |
| 1914 | #1,034 | 30 | 0.0046% |
| 1913 | #1,128 | 21 | 0.0041% |
| 1912 | #1,045 | 20 | 0.0047% |
| 1911 | #1,627 | 6 | 0.0027% |
| 1910 | #1,695 | 5 | 0.0026% |
| 1906 | #961 | 8 | 0.0060% |
| 1905 | #1,157 | 6 | 0.0045% |
| 1904 | #1,010 | 7 | 0.0055% |
| 1901 | #1,121 | 5 | 0.0047% |
| 1900 | #870 | 10 | 0.0066% |
| 1898 | #928 | 7 | 0.0057% |
| 1896 | #1,167 | 5 | 0.0042% |
| 1895 | #926 | 7 | 0.0060% |
| 1894 | #1,156 | 5 | 0.0043% |
| 1893 | #1,105 | 5 | 0.0045% |
| 1892 | #1,009 | 6 | 0.0049% |
| 1891 | #897 | 6 | 0.0059% |
| 1887 | #989 | 5 | 0.0049% |
| 1885 | #1,005 | 5 | 0.0046% |
| 1884 | #721 | 8 | 0.0070% |
| 1883 | #960 | 5 | 0.0048% |
| 1882 | #1,002 | 5 | 0.0044% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Harlow Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You attract success and money. You are a lover of nature and do not need others for your happiness. You are self sufficient. You strive for material success and power and have business sense. You possess strong organizational abilities, can be a good manager, and executive by nature. You are capable of great achievement in business and finance. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Harlow's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Harlow's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.