Barrow
A masculine name derived from the Old English words "bearu" meaning grove.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Barrow. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Barrow today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Barrow births was 2018 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Barrow. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Barrow. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2018
5 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2018 SSA rank
#12,379
Tracked since 2018
Popularity
Barrow: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Barrow by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Barrow during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Barrow
The name Barrow has its origins in Old English, tracing back to the late Anglo-Saxon period of the 9th to 11th centuries. It is derived from the Old English word "bearu," meaning a grove or a wooded area. The name was initially used as a topographic surname, referring to someone who lived near a grove or a wooded area.
Over time, the name Barrow evolved and became a given name in its own right. In its early usage, it was often associated with rural or agricultural communities, reflecting its connection to the natural landscape.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Barrow can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book mentions several individuals with the surname Barrow, indicating its prevalence in the region during that time.
In the 13th century, the name Barrow appeared in religious texts, such as the "Annals of Tewkesbury Abbey," which mentioned a monk named Barrow who lived in the abbey during that period.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Barrow. One such example is Sir John Barrow (1764-1848), an English statesman, and writer who served as the Second Secretary to the Admiralty and authored several works on exploration and travel.
Another notable figure was Isaac Barrow (1630-1677), an English mathematician and theologian who served as the Master of Trinity College, Cambridge, and made significant contributions to the field of optics and geometry.
In the realm of literature, the name Barrow is associated with the English author and poet, John Barrow (1825-1905), who wrote several works on rural life and the English countryside.
The name Barrow also has a connection to the American Civil War, with Samuel Barrow (1825-1897), a Union Army officer who served as a brigadier general during the conflict.
Additionally, the name Barrow has been associated with the field of medicine, with John Barrow (1764-1857), an English physician and naturalist who made important contributions to the study of natural history and botany.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the name Barrow throughout history, showcasing its enduring presence and diverse associations across various fields and disciplines.
People
Barrow + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Barrow as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Barrow: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Barrow?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Barrow going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Barrow a common name?
We classify Barrow as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Barrow most popular?
The single biggest year for Barrow was 2018, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Barrow is about 8 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Barrow in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Barrow a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Barrow in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Barrow still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Barrow in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Barrow can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Barrow?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans are named Barrow on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.