Marlowe

Marlowe is very much in the air, with its lovely -o ending and the modern twist it offers on the likes of Margaret, Margot, Martha, and Marlene. But is it Marlowe, Marlow, or Marlo? Well, for a girl in the US at least, it's probably Marlowe, with this spelling the only one to appear in the Top 1000.

With the intriguing meaning "driftwood", Marlowe was one of the fastest rising names of 2024 in the US, when it was given to more than 475 girls. It also rose slightly for boys, however, 90% of all Marlowes born were assigned female.

As for Marlo and Marlowe, they also saw a small increase in used for girls 75% and 55% of the time respectively. It is worth noting however, that Marlo and Marlow rank in the UK Top 1000 for boys, so ne sure to check the stats where you are.

Marlowe is, of course, a popular surname, going back to sixteen century poet and playwright Christopher and also exemplified by iconic Raymond Chandler private eye Philip.

The name first achieved prominence when Margaret Julia Thomas aka That Girl became known by her nickname Marlo. More recently, Jason Schwartzman used the e-ending version for his young daughter, Marlowe Rivers, as did Sienna Miller for her baby girl Marlowe Ottoline. 

Pronounced MAR-lo.

As of October 2026, Marlowe ranked #523 in US births in 2025 SSA, Nameberry popularity #232.