Find out how popular the last name Barlow is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Barlow.

Barlow, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Barlow surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Barlow in America

Barlow is the 1047th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Barlow surname appeared 33,335 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 11 people would have the surname Barlow.

We can also compare 2010 data for Barlow to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Barlow

The surname Barlow originated in England, deriving from the Old English words 'bearu' meaning 'grove' or 'thicket' and 'hlaw' meaning 'hill' or 'mound'. It is thought to have been a topographic name given to someone who lived near a grassy hill or mound covered in trees.

The earliest recorded use of the name Barlow dates back to the late 12th century in Derbyshire, where it appeared as 'de Barlowe' in the Pipe Rolls of 1199. This suggests the name may have originated as a place name, referring to a specific location with these geographical features.

In the 13th century, the surname Barlow appeared in various records, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it was spelled 'de Barlow'. This spelling variation indicates the name was initially formed as a habitation name, referring to someone from a place called Barlow.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Roger de Barlow, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1199. Another early record is of William de Barlow, who was listed in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1272.

The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the name Barlow. However, it does mention several places with names similar to Barlow, such as Barleye in Derbyshire and Barlawe in Cheshire, suggesting the name may have originated from one of these locations.

A notable figure in history with the surname Barlow was William Barlow, who was the Bishop of Lincoln from 1608 to 1613. He played a significant role in the Hampton Court Conference of 1604, which helped shape the King James Bible.

Another prominent individual was Sir Samuel Barlow, a British naval officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Jamaica from 1679 to 1686. He was known for his efforts to improve the island's defenses and infrastructure.

In the field of literature, Jane Barlow (1857-1917) was an English novelist and children's writer who authored several popular books, including "Irish Idylls" and "Bog-Land Studies".

The name Barlow also has connections to the American Civil War, with Francis Channing Barlow (1834-1896), a lawyer and Union Army general who fought in several major battles, including Gettysburg and Antietam.

Finally, Joel Barlow (1754-1812) was an American poet and diplomat who served as the United States Minister to France during the French Revolution. He is best known for his epic poem "The Columbiad".

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Barlow

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Barlow.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Barlow was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Barlow has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Barlow was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Barlow, please contact us.

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