Unisex name · Old English
Marlowe
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: remnants of a lakeMarlowe is a gender-neutral name that comes from Old English and means "remnants of a lake". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- Remnants of a lake
- Origin
- Old English
- Gender
- Unisex
- US rank
- #523 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Marlowe
As a gender-neutral name, Marlowe comes from Old English and means "remnants of a lake". It is used in English.
Its meaning puts Marlowe on our names that mean water or sea list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Marlowe on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Marlowe on 5 lists.
“English place name for land left after a pool drained”
From Gothic surnames, victorian gothic last names
“Remnants of a lake; Old English, playwright Christopher's surname”
From Gender neutral names, gender-neutral surname names
“An English surname with a literary, detective feel”
From Female cat names, unique female cat names
“A literary surname with detective-novel cool”
From Girl dog names, unique female dog names
“Land left behind after a pool drained”
From Pretty last names, pretty last names
How popular is Marlowe?
In 2025, 575 girls and 36 boys in the US were named Marlowe.
As a girl’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #523
- 575 babies, 358 per million girls
- Best rank
- #523 in 2025
- 575 babies that year
- Babies since 1918
- At least 4,805
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 1 per million |
| 1920s | 2 per million |
| 1930s | 3 per million |
| 1940s | 3 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 2 per million |
| 1970s | 4 per million |
| 1980s | 4 per million |
| 1990s | 4 per million |
| 2000s | 14 per million |
| 2010s | 107 per million |
| 2020s | 239 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,036 | #986 | #1,047 | #1,055 | #927 | #899 | #779 | #836 | #625 | #523 |
As a boy’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #3,286
- 36 babies, 21 per million boys
- Best rank
- #1,340 in 1952
- Most babies: 47 in 2024
- Babies since 1912
- At least 1,662
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 14 per million |
| 1920s | 15 per million |
| 1930s | 17 per million |
| 1940s | 9 per million |
| 1950s | 9 per million |
| 1960s | 7 per million |
| 1970s | 10 per million |
| 1980s | 4 per million |
| 1990s | 4 per million |
| 2000s | 5 per million |
| 2010s | 10 per million |
| 2020s | 19 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,068 | #5,695 | #3,672 | #4,743 | #4,646 | #5,698 | #3,510 | #3,157 | #2,778 | #3,286 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Marlowe
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- MaloneDevotee of Saint John (Irish Gaelic, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
Middle names for Marlowe
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More names from Old English
- EdgarWealthy spear (Old English, boy)
- EdithRich in war (Old English, girl)
- AlfredElf counsel (Old English, boy)
- EduardRich guardian (Old English, boy)
- StormTempest (Old English, unisex)
- AlfredoElf counsel (Old English, boy)
- AudreyNoble strength (Old English, girl)
- EduardoRich guardian (Old English, boy)
- GrahamFrom a surname from the place name Grantham, probably gravelly homestead (Old English, boy)
- HarperHarp player (Old English, unisex)
Marlowe: common questions
What does the name Marlowe mean?
Marlowe comes from Old English and means "remnants of a lake".
Is Marlowe a boy or girl name?
Marlowe is used for both boys and girls. In 2025, 575 girls and 36 boys in the US were named Marlowe, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Marlowe come from?
Marlowe comes from Old English and means "remnants of a lake". Today it is used in English.
How popular is the name Marlowe?
Marlowe ranked #523 in the US in 2025, with 575 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Marlowe?
Names spelled like Marlowe include Malone.
What middle names go with Marlowe?
Middle names that flow well with Marlowe include Briar, Eliza, Fern, Heath and Ione. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.