Harlow is a distinctive boys' name in England & Wales, ranking #656 in 2020 with 52 recorded births. This places Harlow in the top 11% of ranked UK boys' names for the year. Its actual usage is classified as Uncommon. The name reached its all-time peak in 2025 with 96 births ranking #418. In 2020, approximately 1 in every 5,557 boys born was named Harlow. STABLE Recent data shows the name is currently stable.
Harlow comes from an English surname and place name. The second element points to a hill, while the first may relate either to rock or to an army.
Harlow moved from place name to surname and then into modern given-name use. Its rise for girls was helped by celebrity usage in the late 2000s.