Barlow is a surname of English origin. It is derived from the Old English word "beorg," which means "hill" or "mound." The name was originally given to someone who lived on or near a hill, and it has been in use as a surname since at least the Middle Ages.
The earliest record of the name Barlow appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it is listed as a surname in Cambridgeshire. Throughout history, there have been many notable individuals with the surname Barlow. For example, the American poet Sylvia Plath was born as Sylvia Louise Hughes, but she changed her name to Sylvia Plath Barlow after marrying the poet Ted Hughes.
Today, Barlow is still primarily found in English-speaking countries such as England and the United States. According to some sources, it is more commonly used as a surname than a given name, although there are certainly people named Barlow today who use it as their first name. Overall, Barlow is an interesting and historic surname with a clear meaning and origin.
The name Barlow appears to have experienced fluctuations in popularity over the years, with peaks in the late 1930s and mid-1950s, and a recent resurgence from 2019 onwards.