Last name: Arlow

This interesting name, with variant spellings Harlowe, Harlow and Arlow, is of English locational origin from any of the various places thus called. One in the West Riding of Yorkshire gets it's name from the old English "hoer", rock or pile of stones, plus "hlaw", a hill. Harlow in Essex and Northumberland, recorded respectively as Herlawe circa 1043, (Anglo-Saxon Wills), and as Hirlawe in the 1242 "Fine Court Rolls of Northumberland" have as their first element the Old English pre 7th Century "here", an army or host, plus "hlaw", hence, "the mound of the people". The reference here is probably to an ancient meeting place of the hundred. One, Richard de Herlawe was recorded in the 1273 "Hundred Rolls of Essex", and a Walter de Harlow in the 1327 "Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire". Anthony Harlow registered on a list of the living in Virginia on February 16th 1623 was an early settler in the New World. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Osbern de Herlaye, which was dated circa 1121, in the "Feudal Documents of Bury St. Edmunds", Suffolk, during the reign of King Henry 1, known as "The Lion of Justice", 1100 - 1135. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Visitor Comments

Jim Arlow
My name is Jim Arlow

Julia Arlow
Hello Jim was looking up the origin of the name Arlow and came across your name and was wondering where you live. I live in Melbourne Victoria Australia if you have any thing to say my email address is j.arlow@bigpond.com I have often wondered where the name came from and came across this site on Google. Yours Julia Arlow

angela eliabeth Harlow
Hi my name is angela Harlow , my ancestors added an H to our surname when they came to live in wigan, greater manchester.great Britain in the early 19th century,my great grand parents came from county down norther ireland. i do not know why the did it?... has far as i can understand the surname Harlow,.Arlow Harlowe etc.is drived from the town Harlow in Essex England so i think our ancestors must have come from this area?. i'm 55 by the way i've always wounderd where i came from .i'm quite pleased to be a little bit irish ha;ha. best regards to you julia.from angela

Robert Alan arlow
Hi Angela I am in co down . The arlows were Walloons from Belgium who were persecuted in the 16th century. Some fled to Ireland and for many generations were damask weavers in blackskull/donaghcloney/banbridge area. Robert Alan Arlow

angela eliabeth Harlow
ps julia my son andrew was in Australia two years ago work experience he was working for a buissnes woman who owned some speciaist knit wear shops my son is a fashion graduate from saint martains Art collage in London he got a BA in fashion, he lived in her family home in sidney for nearly twelve months. he loved it, she wanted him to stay and design knit wear for her but he was home sick. chow angela harlow from wigan