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Harlowe

Girl name · 3 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Harlowe: 3 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to girls, peaking at 3 births in 2023.

Harlowe is a modern spelling variant of Harlow, an English surname turned first name that derives from the Old English words *hearg* (meaning 'temple' or 'shrine') and *hlāw* ('hill'), giving it the sense of 'temple hill' or 'army hill' (the latter from a different root *here*). While no famous historical figures bear the given name Harlowe, the name's longer history as a surname includes the influential 20th-century astronomer Harlow Shapley, who mapped the Milky Way. The place name Harlow in Essex, England, shares the same etymology, evolving from an Anglo-Saxon settlement. Interestingly, Harlowe has recently gained popularity as a stylish alternative to Harlow, especially for girls, and saw a modest but steady presence on Scottish birth registers from the 2010s onward.