Marlowe: meaning and UK use

What does Marlowe mean?

Marlowe comes through a surname derived from an Old English place name. The reviewed reference gives remnants of a lake, replacing the unsupported driftwood hill explanation.

Language or name family covered

English place and surname name

Meaning or derivation

Remnants of a lake

Our browsing group

unisex; modern

Browsing groups describe our editorial shortlist, not rules about who may use a name. A name can cross languages and genders.

Sources for this entry — reviewed 2026-10-07:

• Behind the Name — Marlowe

Pronunciation and related forms

MAR-loh (British English)

English respellings are approximate; IPA is labelled where used. Follow the pronunciation a person or family chooses, and check it with a speaker of the intended language if that connection matters to you.

No variants or nicknames have been verified for this entry. A family nickname does not need to be an established dictionary form.

How popular is Marlowe?

In 2025, 67 baby girls in England and Wales were registered as Marlowe, making it the 585th most popular girls’ name. That is up 9 places on 2024, when it ranked 594th. It is used for both sexes: 28 boys were also given the name (1066th for boys). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it ranked 1139th, so it has climbed 554 places in a decade. Its best year in the ONS series was 2021, at 555th. These figures cover England and Wales, not the whole UK.

2025 rank (girls)

585th

2025 registrations

67

Best rank in this series

555th (2021)

Every year from 1996 to 2025

Marlowe: rank and number of baby girls by year (ONS)

Year	Rank	Babies
2025	585	67
2024	594	66
2023	637	57
2022	596	64
2021	555	72
2020	821	44
2019	717	54
2018	843	44
2017	1063	33
2016	1211	28
2015	1139	30
2014	1966	14
2013	3160	7
2012	—	Not published
2011	—	Not published
2010	—	Not published
2009	—	Not published
2008	—	Not published
2007	—	Not published
2006	—	Not published
2005	—	Not published
2004	—	Not published
2003	—	Not published
2002	—	Not published
2001	—	Not published
2000	—	Not published
1999	—	Not published
1998	—	Not published
1997	—	Not published
1996	—	Not published

The sum of published counts in this 1996–2025 girls series is 580. This is a lower bound where years are suppressed, not the number of living people with the name. A best rank is the best position within this series; it does not establish an all-time record.

Sources: ONS release, 2025; girls' dataset; boys' dataset. Our 20 top-ten positions were checked against Table 1 in the 2025 workbooks. The history chart and spelling comparisons come from the separate ONS 1996–2025 workbook, checked 7 October 2026. Spelling variants are separate entries. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate statistics.

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Names to compare with Marlowe

These suggestions share a browsing group and one or more of our style tags or source-context labels. They are taste comparisons, not etymological relatives or a popularity ranking.

• Blakemodern · From words for black or pale
• Edenmodern · Possibly delight or a plain
• Frankiemodern · A short form of Frank or Frances
• Quinnmodern · From the surname Ó Cuinn
• Remymodern · An English form of Rémy
• Renmodern · Lotus or love with particular characters

Read the UK naming guide for the difference between inspiration lists and official statistics, or return to the full name finder.

Registering or changing the name

Once you decide on Marlowe, confirm the registration process for your UK nation with the register office. If you later want to change a registered name, the route depends on the circumstances and may require consent from people with parental responsibility.

Start with GOV.UK birth registration or GOV.UK guidance on changing a child’s name. Our registration guide and child name-change guide explain where to find the relevant official process.