Marlow is an English place and surname name meaning 'remnants of a lake' or land left by a drained lake. Its origin in the landscape gives it a calm, scenic quality, with Marlowe and Marlo as its close variants.

The soft -low ending makes the name feel gentle and unhurried, fitting its watery meaning. The Marlowe spelling carries a literary echo that adds a touch of weight.

Did you know? Marlow comes from the Buckinghamshire place name, from Old English mere ('lake') and laf ('remnants'), giving it that borrowed-from-history feel.

Overall data confidence 62%

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

Variations

MarloweMarlo

Nicknames

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If you like Marlow…

Marlowe— A listed variation of Marlow with the same meaning and a literary spelling.

Harlow— An English place-name with the same -low ending as Marlow.

Arrow— lands in the same popularity range

Woodrow— echoes that soft -ow sound

Winslow— echoes that soft -ow sound

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Marlow mean?

Marlow means 'remnants of a lake' or drained lake land. It is an English place name from Old English mere ('lake') and laf ('remnants').

How do you pronounce Marlow?

It's commonly said MAR-low /ˈmær.laʊ/.

Is Marlow a boy or girl name?

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

How popular is Marlow?

In 2024, Marlow ranked #2490 in the U.S. for boys, with 55 births recorded.