Marlo

♀ Girl

Pronounced MAR-loh /ˈmɑɹ.loʊ/High

Meaning: From the surname/place name Marlow, Old English for 'land remaining after the draining of a lake'.Medium

In 30 seconds: Marlo comes from the surname and place name Marlow, Old English for 'land remaining after the draining of a lake'. It is used here as a girls' name.

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Origin MediumEnglish

MeaningFrom the surname/place name Marlow, Old English for 'land remaining after the draining of a lake'.

U.S. rank (2024)#1707 ↗ Rising

2024 U.S. births119 girls (0.01% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1970

Total births (all-time)≈ 7,155

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

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

History & Origin

The name's origin is in the English place name Marlow, which described drained lakeland left as usable ground. That place name became a surname and, in time, a given name, with Marlo as the trimmed-down spelling. So its meaning is rooted in landscape rather than personality.

It shares ground with Marlowe and the related Marla, showing a small family of similar forms. The American actress and activist Marlo Thomas, known for 'That Girl' and 'Free to Be... You and Me', has long carried the name.

Did you know? Marlo is a spelling variant of Marlowe, so it keeps the same core meaning of 'remnants of a lake' while changing the visual style.

Overall data confidence 78%

Behind the Name - Marlo — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

MarloweMarla

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

★Marlo Thomas (1937-present)
American actress, producer, and activist known for the TV series 'That Girl' and as the creator of the children's project 'Free to Be... You and Me'.

If you like Marlo…

Marlowe— a listed variant of Marlo with the fuller surname spelling

Marla— a listed related form sharing the 'Marl-' root

Margot— a similarly chic, short girls' name with the 'Mar-' opening

Harlow— another surname-and-place name used for girls with the matching '-low' sound

Frequently Asked

What does the name Marlo mean?

Marlo is usually explained as meaning 'remnants of a lake' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Marlo?

It's commonly said MAR-loh /ˈmɑɹ.loʊ/.

Is Marlo a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Marlo is used as a girl name.

How popular is Marlo?

In 2024, Marlo ranked #1707 in the U.S. for girls, with 119 births recorded.