The name Marlowe is an English masculine given name with origins dating back to the late Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "mere" meaning "a marsh" and "hlaw" meaning "a hill" or "small mound". This suggests that Marlowe may have originally referred to a person living near a marsh or wetland area on a hill.

One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Marlowe can be found in the 14th century, appearing as "Marlou" in the Calender of Wills from 1363. During this time period, spelling variations such as "Marlow" and "Marloe" were also commonplace. The more standardized spelling of "Marlowe" emerged in the late 16th century.

Historically, the name Marlowe has been associated with several notable figures. One of the most famous was Christopher Marlowe, an English playwright, poet, and translator of the Elizabethan era, born in 1564 and tragically killed in 1593 at the young age of 29. His works, including "The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus" and "Tamburlaine the Great", significantly influenced the development of English literature and the dramatic arts.

Another prominent individual bearing the name Marlowe was Julia Marlowe, an English-American actress born Sarah Hodgdon Terhune in 1865. She gained fame for her performances in Shakespearean plays and became one of the most respected and admired stage actresses of her time, before her death in 1950.

In the 20th century, the name Marlowe was also carried by the American novelist and screenwriter Raymond Chandler, whose birth name was Raymond Thornton Chandler (1888-1959). He is renowned for his influential works of detective fiction, including "The Big Sleep" and "The Long Goodbye", which helped shape the genre of hardboiled crime fiction.

Another notable Marlowe was Philip Marlowe, the iconic private investigator created by writer Raymond Chandler and featured in several of his novels and short stories. Although a fictional character, Philip Marlowe became a cultural icon and one of the most famous representations of the hard-boiled detective archetype in literature.

Lastly, Marlowe was also the first name of Marlowe Alter Marx, an American businessman and entrepreneur born in 1919. He co-founded the successful toy company Stride Rite Corporation, which specialized in children's footwear and became a leading brand in the United States.