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

Marlow, 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 Marlow surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Marlow in America

Marlow is the 2728th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Marlow surname appeared 13,205 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Marlow.

We can also compare 2010 data for Marlow 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 Marlow

The surname Marlow has its origins in England, tracing back to the 13th century. It is a locational name derived from the town of Marlow in Buckinghamshire, which was recorded as "Merelafan" in the Domesday Book of 1086. The name is believed to be derived from the Old English words "mere" meaning a lake or pond, and "hlaw" meaning a hill, thus referring to a hill near a lake.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1230, where it is spelled as "de Merlaue". The spelling variations throughout history include Marlow, Merlow, Merlawe, and Marley, among others.

In the 14th century, a prominent individual bearing the name was John Marlow, a member of the English Parliament who represented the borough of Great Marlow in 1348. Another notable figure was Sir Roger Marlow (c. 1495-1555), who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1554.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname gained further prominence. Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593) was an influential English playwright, poet, and translator of the Elizabethan era, often referred to as the "Invisible Poet" and renowned for his plays such as "Tamburlaine the Great" and "The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus".

In the 18th century, a notable figure was Andrew Marlow (1736-1805), an English Congregational minister and author. He published several works, including "A Discourse on the Grounds and Reasons of the Christian Religion" and "A Commentary on the Book of Psalms".

The 19th century saw the birth of Charles Marlow (1870-1945), an English actor and playwright best known for his performances in Shakespearean roles and for co-founding the Old Vic Theatre in London with his wife, Lilian Baylis.

Throughout its history, the surname Marlow has been associated with various locations in England, particularly the town of Marlow in Buckinghamshire, as well as other places that may have derived their names from similar origins, reflecting the locational nature of the surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Marlow

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

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 Marlow 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 Marlow 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 Marlow was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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