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Barlow Family History

Barlow Name Meaning

English: habitational name from any of several places called Barlow especially those in Lancashire and Yorkshire. The former is named with Old English bere ‘barley’ + hlāw ‘hill’; the latter probably has as its first element the derived adjective beren or the compound bere-ærn ‘barn’. There is also a place of this name in Derbyshire named with Old English bār ‘boar’ or bere ‘barley’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’ and one in Shropshire which is from bere ‘barley’ + lēah.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Harlow, Barrow, Barley, Farlow, Callow, Marlow, Parlow, Barkow

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Barlow family from?

You can see how Barlow families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Barlow family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Barlow families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 301 Barlow families living in Ontario. This was about 46% of all the recorded Barlow's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Barlow families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Barlow surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Barlow ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Barlow. 26% of Barlow men worked as a Farmer and 17% of Barlow women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Barlow were Laborer and Bookkeeper. .

View Census Data for Barlow | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    26%
  • Labourer
    12%
  • Machinist
    8%
  • Laborer
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    17%
  • Teacher
    15%
  • Operator
    13%
  • Bookkeeper
    9%
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What Barlow family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 368,000 census records available for the last name Barlow. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Barlow census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Barlow

Passenger Lists

There are 37,000 immigration records available for the last name Barlow. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 45,000 military records available for the last name Barlow. For the veterans among your Barlow ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Barlow military records

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What is the average Barlow lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Barlow life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Barlow in 1940 was 53, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Barlow

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