NameCensus.

UK surname

Marlow

Derived from a place name meaning "drained lake" or "marsh lake" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 3,514 people recorded with the Marlow surname, ranking it #1,297 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,027, ranked #1,347, down from #1,297 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kettering, Harborough and New Forest.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Marlow is 5,325 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 43.1%.

1881 census count

3,514

Ranked #1,297

Modern count

5,027

2016, ranked #1,347

Peak year

1999

5,325 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Marlow had 3,514 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,297 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,027 in 2016, ranked #1,347.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,076 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Marlow surname distribution map

The map shows where the Marlow surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Marlow surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Marlow over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 1,965 #1,473
1861 historical 2,182 #1,343
1881 historical 3,514 #1,297
1891 historical 3,763 #1,273
1901 historical 4,578 #1,239
1911 historical 5,076 #1,037
1997 modern 5,116 #1,275
1998 modern 5,314 #1,281
1999 modern 5,325 #1,290
2000 modern 5,233 #1,300
2001 modern 5,097 #1,303
2002 modern 5,281 #1,290
2003 modern 5,148 #1,288
2004 modern 5,097 #1,299
2005 modern 5,004 #1,306
2006 modern 4,927 #1,327
2007 modern 4,917 #1,341
2008 modern 4,964 #1,341
2009 modern 5,042 #1,350
2010 modern 5,199 #1,338
2011 modern 5,114 #1,340
2012 modern 5,028 #1,333
2013 modern 5,110 #1,338
2014 modern 5,142 #1,335
2015 modern 5,060 #1,345
2016 modern 5,027 #1,347

Geography

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Where Marlows are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kettering, Harborough and New Forest. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 1
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kettering 002 Kettering
2 Kettering 003 Kettering
3 Harborough 005 Harborough
4 New Forest 001 New Forest
5 Harborough 008 Harborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Marlow

These lists show first names that appear often with the Marlow surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Marlow

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Marlow, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Marlow surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Marlow household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Marlow is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Marlow is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Marlow falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Marlow is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Marlow, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of 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.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Marlow families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Marlow surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 490 Marlows recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.43x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 490 1.43x
Northamptonshire 427 13.23x
Leicestershire 389 10.23x
Hampshire 275 3.91x
Warwickshire 237 2.74x
Staffordshire 213 1.84x
Lancashire 206 0.51x
Yorkshire 182 0.54x
Surrey 172 1.03x
Nottinghamshire 135 2.92x
Hertfordshire 86 3.64x
Kent 86 0.73x
Derbyshire 81 1.51x
Berkshire 76 2.95x
Bedfordshire 66 3.72x
Oxfordshire 44 2.08x
Durham 35 0.34x
Wiltshire 33 1.09x
Devon 25 0.35x
Lanarkshire 25 0.23x
Cheshire 24 0.32x
Lincolnshire 22 0.40x
Essex 21 0.31x
Worcestershire 17 0.38x
Buckinghamshire 16 0.77x
Rutland 15 5.95x
Huntingdonshire 13 1.91x
Cumberland 12 0.41x
Dorset 12 0.53x
Gloucestershire 10 0.15x
Shropshire 10 0.34x
Suffolk 9 0.22x
Sussex 8 0.14x
Cambridgeshire 5 0.23x
Isle of Man 5 0.78x
Royal Navy 5 1.22x
Somerset 5 0.09x
Caernarfonshire 4 0.29x
Norfolk 4 0.08x
Aberdeenshire 3 0.09x
Renfrewshire 3 0.11x
Ayrshire 2 0.08x
Glamorgan 2 0.03x
Northumberland 2 0.04x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.13x
Fife 1 0.05x
Herefordshire 1 0.07x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.13x
Perthshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Desborough in Northamptonshire leads with 135 Marlows recorded in 1881 and an index of 556.93x.

Place Total Index
Desborough 135 556.93x
Aston 87 3.65x
Chelsea London 68 6.58x
Walsall Foreign 58 9.70x
Leicester St Margaret 57 6.14x
Birmingham 52 1.80x
Kettering 48 36.78x
Offley 45 292.59x
Islington London 37 1.11x
Kensington London 37 1.94x
St Pancras London 36 1.30x
Fordingbridge 34 88.91x
Hallaton 32 379.60x
Loughborough 31 17.96x
Brightside Bierlow 28 4.20x
Blaston 27 1849.32x
Lambeth 27 0.90x
Northampton St Giles 27 21.97x
Oldham 26 1.98x
Rothwell 26 80.22x
Chiswick 25 13.34x
Medbourne 25 382.85x
Handsworth 24 8.41x
Heston 24 21.06x
Battersea 23 1.82x
Hackney London 23 1.20x
Sundon 23 520.36x
Basingstoke 22 27.20x
Bulwell 21 20.89x
Nottingham St Mary 21 1.76x
Putney 21 13.43x
Shoreditch London 21 1.41x
Toddington 21 82.45x
Tottenham 21 3.84x
Croydon 20 2.16x
Darlaston 20 12.50x
Oundle 20 55.43x
Wednesbury 20 6.91x
Barrow Upon Soar 19 60.49x
Slawston 19 879.63x
Leicester St Mary 18 5.86x
Pendleton In Salford 18 3.71x
St George Hanover 17 3.80x
West Ham 17 1.14x
Clerkenwell London 16 1.98x
Ecclesfield 16 6.42x
Liverpool 16 0.65x
Northampton Priory St 16 8.26x
Reading St Giles 16 6.33x
Worksop 16 11.67x
Alton 15 28.30x
Coventry St Michael 15 5.40x
Foleshill 15 16.48x
Northampton St Sepulchre 15 9.14x
Portsea 15 1.09x
Preston 15 1.38x
Hucknall Torkard 14 11.94x
Newington 14 1.10x
St Luke London 14 2.54x
Theddingworth 14 484.43x
Wootton St Lawrence 14 119.66x
Byfield 13 139.63x
Martin 13 215.23x
Reading St Mary 13 6.30x
Elton 12 126.05x
Govan 12 0.44x
Kingsthorpe 12 33.45x
Runcorn 12 6.87x
Alverstoke 11 4.32x
Claylane 11 14.73x
Drighlington 11 22.21x
Everton 11 0.85x
Hammersmith London 11 1.30x
Holy Trinity 11 1.35x
Lewisham 11 1.76x
Mortimer 11 89.21x
Plumstead 11 2.82x
Towcester 11 33.05x
Wolverhampton 11 1.24x
Lilley 10 168.35x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Marlow surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 208
Sarah 149
Elizabeth 134
Annie 74
Jane 72
Emma 69
Ann 64
Eliza 61
Ellen 57
Alice 42
Emily 42
Hannah 34
Charlotte 33
Clara 26
Maria 26
Fanny 25
Edith 23
Ada 22
Harriet 22
Kate 21
Louisa 21
Caroline 20
Lucy 20
Florence 17
Margaret 17
Martha 17
Anne 16
Rose 16
Catherine 15
Amelia 13
Ruth 13
Agnes 12
Harriett 12
Selina 10
Elizth. 9
Gertrude 9
Lydia 9
Amy 8
Jessie 8
Susan 8
Frances 7
Isabella 7
Lizzie 7
Maud 7
Rebecca 7
Matilda 6
Rosa 6
Sophia 6
Susannah 6
Phoebe 5

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Marlow surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 234
John 172
George 150
Thomas 125
Henry 84
Joseph 84
Charles 82
James 72
Alfred 41
Arthur 40
Edward 39
Frederick 39
Walter 35
Samuel 32
Harry 29
Robert 29
Frank 28
Albert 26
Herbert 22
Edwin 16
Ernest 12
Richard 12
David 10
Benjamin 9
Fred 9
Stephen 9
Wm. 9
Tom 8
Francis 6
Thos. 6
Isaac 5
Anthony 4
Caleb 4
Daniel 4
Ebenezer 4
Fredrick 4
Geo. 4
Hugh 4
Matthew 4
Willie 4
Abraham 3
Andrew 3
Earnest 3
Edgar 3
Edmund 3
Fredk. 3
Josiah 3
Levi 3
Lewis 3
Reuben 3

FAQ

Marlow surname: questions and answers

How common was the Marlow surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,514 people were recorded with the Marlow surname. That placed it at #1,297 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Marlow surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,027 in 2016. That gives Marlow a modern rank of #1,347.

What does the Marlow surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "drained lake" or "marsh lake" in Old English.

What does the Marlow map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Marlow bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.