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At a Glance: Name: Barlow – Meaning: barley hill or barley clearing – Origin: Old English (place name/surname) – Gender: primarily used for boys – Pronunciation: BAR-loh
Barlow is an Old English name rooted in place and surname use, built from words meaning 'barley hill' or 'barley clearing.' You may see it claimed that Barlow means 'from the bare hill' — that mixes up the Old English word for barley with the modern word 'bare,' so it's not accurate. The real meaning ties the name to land used for growing barley.
Meaning & Origin of Barlow
Meaning: Barley hill or barley clearing.
Origin: Old English (place name/surname).
A common claim: Often said to mean 'from the bare hill.' Actually: This mixes up Old English bere ('barley') with the modern word 'bare' — the place name actually means roughly 'barley hill' or 'barley clearing,' not a treeless 'bare' hill.
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Barlow
Phonetic: BAR-loh IPA: /ˈbɑːrloʊ/
Popularity of Barlow
Barlow peaked at #2545 on the SSA list in 1953, with 10 babies given the name that year, and by 2024 it had fallen to #9061 with a count of 8.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1917–2024.
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Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Barlow mean?
Barley hill or barley clearing. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Barlow)
How do you pronounce Barlow?
Barlow is pronounced BAR-loh (IPA: /ˈbɑːrloʊ/).
Is Barlow a popular name right now?
Barlow peaked at #2545 in 1953 and is ranked #9061 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1917–2024.)
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