Arrow

♀ Girl

Pronounced AIR-oh /ˈɛr.oʊ/High

Meaning: The projectile shot from a bow; an English word name connoting swiftness, direction, and purposeHigh

In 30 seconds: A word name that flies: Arrow promises direction, speed, and a true aim. Part of the bow-and-buckskin wave that gave us Hunter, Archer — and now their ammunition.

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Origin HighEnglish

MeaningThe projectile shot from a bow; an English word name connoting swiftness, direction, and purpose

U.S. rank (2025)#3988 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births36 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year2018

Total births (all-time)≈ 858

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Arrow is the English word, from Old English arwe, adopted as a given name in the twenty-first century's word-name boom. Its symbolic résumé is long — Cupid's arrows, compass arrows, the straight path — and pop culture warmed the ground with the DC series Arrow and musician Aja Volkman and Dan Reynolds naming a daughter Arrow Eve.

The name is used for both sexes in roughly equal small numbers, with girls' use buoyed by its vowel-soft sound. It remains rare — sleek, directional, and impossible to misspell.

Did you know? Parents who love Arrow often cite the archer's paradox of naming: Archer and Hunter took off first, and the arrow itself followed them onto birth certificates.

Overall data confidence 92%

Oxford English Dictionary — arrow — word etymology

Variations

ArroArrowe

Nicknames

Aro

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Arrow…

Wren— a fellow short nature-adjacent word name for girls

Archer— the bow-wielding name that opened the trail

Sage— shares the minimal, meaningful word-name style

Marlow— another modern pick

Winslow— shares the -ow ending

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Arrow mean?

Arrow is the English word for the archer's projectile, used as a name to suggest swiftness, direction, and purpose.

How do you pronounce Arrow?

It's said AIR-oh /ˈɛr.oʊ/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Arrow a boy or girl name?

Arrow is used for both sexes; this page covers its use as a girl's name.

How popular is Arrow?

Arrow is a rare modern word name in the U.S.