Harlow
Harlow is a given name of English origin, a transferred use of a surname and place name meaning "rock hill" or "army hill." Spelling variants Harlo and Harlowe are also in use.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Harlow
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Harlow is a given name of English origin, a transferred use of a surname and place name meaning "rock hill" or "army hill." Spelling variants Harlo and Harlowe are also in use.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Harlow
As a girl name
Harlow first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 2002, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2021, when 1,278 Harlows were born — ranking #237 that year. As of 2026, Harlow ranks #271 for girls with 1,186 births, rising sharply (+20% over the past five years). In total, more than 15K Harlows have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2000s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Harlow first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1882, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 204 Harlows were born — ranking #1,071 that year. As of 2026, Harlow ranks #1,071 for boys with 204 births, rising sharply (+227% over the past five years). In total, more than 3K Harlows have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Harlow
Phonetically similar names — useful when Harlow is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Harlow
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Is Harlow a unisex name?
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About the name Harlow
Harlow is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2002 and has accumulated 15K births in the dataset. Harlow's peak popularity came in 2021 when it ranked #237. Use the chart and map above to compare Harlow's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2021 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "H" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.