The Harlow surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 11,726 people carried this name — #3,060 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 25,100 people counted. That is up 5% from 11,128 in 2000.

Share

What the name means

The meaning of the Harlow surname

A habitational surname transferred from the place name.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Harlow» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Harlow’.

An early record he cites: Richard de Herlawe, Essex, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 360 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

61 families named Harlow, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 356 people lived in those households, 5.8 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 2 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Massachusetts 39
Virginia 8
New York 4
Vermont 3
Maine 2
New Hampshire 2
North Carolina 2
Connecticut 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 244 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Harlow in American newspapers,
1861.

Newspaper page from Pomeroy Weekly Telegraph carrying the name Harlow
Pomeroy Weekly Telegraph 1861-05-17
Newspaper page from Western Reserve Chronicle carrying the name Harlow
Western Reserve Chronicle 1861-03-27
Newspaper page from The Weekly Portage Sentinel carrying the name Harlow
The Weekly Portage Sentinel 1861-04-10

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 6,026 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Harlow in Australian newspapers,
1830s–2000s.

9,155 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Harlow. The most, 3,152, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Queensland, at 1.6 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 2,960
Queensland 2,905
Victoria 1,445
South Australia 942
Western Australia 543
Tasmania 203
ACT (Canberra) 67
Northern Territory 6

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Harlow.

Who carried it

People named Harlow,
with a public archive behind them.

  • George Henry Harlow
    George Henry Harlow 1787–1819 · painter
  • George Henry Harlow
    George Henry Harlow 1787–1819 · painter
  • William Harlow 1624–1691
  • Mary Faunce 1638–1664
  • Samuel Harlow 1653–
  • Rebecca Harlow 1655–1727

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Harlow,
in the records of 5 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,041 records

1,041 records of the Harlow name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 462
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 171
  • Other U.S. records 408
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Daniel B. Harlow

    Born 1917 in Iowa. Enlisted 1944 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; driver from Polk County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1997, buried at Lutie Cemetery, Theodosia, Missouri.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Clarence Louis Harlow

    Born 1949; from Irving, Texas. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1967 in Binh Duong, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Ellen Harlow

    Arrived at New York in 1883 aboard the Italy from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 19; servant. From Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 1,041 records for Harlow in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada506 records

506 records of the Harlow name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 490
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 8
  • Other Canadian records 8
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Stephen Paul Harlow

    Buried in 1970 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 19.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Cecelia H. Harlow

    Died 1870 in Queens, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Arthur Dunlop Harlow

    Died in service in 1918.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 506 records for Harlow in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

Australia198 records

198 records of the Harlow name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 113
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 37
  • Other Australian records 48
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record George Harlow

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Elizabeth, sailing from London in 1831.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John Harlow

    Arrived in Victoria in 1857 aboard the Cyclone, aged 30; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Margretta Harlow

    Gentlewoman of Oxford, United Kingdom; died 1986.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 198 records for Harlow in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

United Kingdom18 records

18 records of the Harlow name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 11
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 7
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Jane Harlow

    Buried in 1822 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 65.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record A. Harlow

    Middlesex Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Harlow

    Buried in 1800 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 18 records for Harlow in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand2 records

2 records of the Harlow name in New Zealand
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Thomas James Harlow

    Buried in 1975 at Totara Memorial Park Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 83.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record J. Harlow

    Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

When the index is not enough

This page says where Harlow is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

Scroll to Top