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Harlow Family History

Harlow Name Meaning

English: habitational name from Harlow (Essex) Harlow in Mayfield (Staffordshire) Great Harlow in Clapham (Yorkshire) Harlow Hill in Pannal (Yorkshire) or Harlow Hill in Ovingham (Northumberland). The Essex and Northumberland placenames probably derive from Old English here ‘army’ + hlāw ‘mound hill’. The other placenames probably derive from Old English hār ‘gray hoar’ + hlāw.

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


Similar surnames: Barlow, Sharlow, Harrow, Farlow, Harley, Harton, Harle, Callow

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Where is the Harlow family from?

You can see how Harlow families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Harlow family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Harlow families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 116 Harlow families living in Nova Scotia. This was about 60% of all the recorded Harlow's in Canada. Nova Scotia had the highest population of Harlow families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Harlow surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Harlow ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Harlow. 46% of Harlow men worked as a Farmer and 50% of Harlow women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Harlow were Student and Servant. .

View Census Data for Harlow | 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
    46%
  • Labourer
    10%
  • Machinist
    10%
  • Student
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    50%
  • Housekeeper
    30%
  • Servant
    20%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Harlow family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 100,000 census records available for the last name Harlow. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Harlow census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Harlow

Passenger Lists

There are 7,000 immigration records available for the last name Harlow. 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.

View all Harlow immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 15,000 military records available for the last name Harlow. For the veterans among your Harlow ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Harlow military records

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What is the average Harlow lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Harlow life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 1954. The average life expectancy for Harlow in 1942 was 55, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Harlow

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