HARROW
Harrow is an English surname that originated in the British Isles. It is derived from the Old English word hearg, meaning either temple or heathen shrine, and it is therefore thought to have originally been a topographic name for someone who lived near a pagan temple or who worked at or owned a shrine.
The surname also arose as a locational name, linked to places called Harrow in the county of Middlesex, in Caithness near Mey in the north of Scotland, and to a now lost medieval site near Stirling in Perthshire. All of these place names are believed to share a common derivation from the early Old English word guminga‑hergae, which refers to a heathen temple.
The place name Harrow is recorded as Herges in the Anglo‑Saxon Chronicles of 825 and again in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears under the spelling Herges. The transition of the name to its modern form is an element of historical mystery.
Early surviving church records show the surname in a variety of spellings. For example, a marriage between John Harrowe and Annis Townes was recorded at the Church of St. Andrew’s in Enfield, Middlesex on 10 July 1598. Another example is Joane Arrow, whose marriage was recorded at St. Andrew's in Holborn on 10 October 1614, and an instance of Robert Erowe at St. Dunstans in Stepney on 23 September 1632.
In Scotland the earliest documented spelling is that of Robert Harrow, recorded as a burgess of Stirling in a 1366 account. He is said to have taken part in an assault on the fisheries of the abbey of Cambuskenneth, an act dated to the reign of King David II of Scotland from 1329 to 1371.
Although the word harrow later came to denote a piece of farming equipment used for breaking up soil and uprooting weeds, it is uncertain whether this agricultural meaning played a significant role in the formation of the surname.
Variants of the surname include Arrow, Aro, Arro, Ero, Errowe, Orrow, Orro and Orowe. These spellings appear in early church registers and later civil documents, demonstrating the fluidity of surname orthography in the medieval period.
The surname Harrow has also been documented as an Anglicised form of the Gaelic surname Mac Giolla Mharraigh, which in turn derives from the personal name Gilmhar, composed of the Gaelic elements giolla meaning “lad” or “servant” and mharraigh meaning “noble”. In addition, a Dutch etymology identifies Harrow as a metonymic occupational surname meaning “wheelwright”, derived from the phrase harrewagen meaning “wagon‑wheel”. These alternative origins are recorded in reputable onomastic sources.
In contemporary Britain the surname is most common in England, especially in London and the Midlands. It is almost four times more frequent among white British people of English background than the national average, and it appears most often in the London boroughs of Lambeth, Southwark and Tower Hamlets, where the proportion of individuals of English descent is high.
Internationally the surname occurs in several English‑speaking countries, notably the United States – particularly in California, New York and New Jersey – Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Scotland and Wales. In the United States the surname is less common but still traceable to British migration on a wide scale.
Thus, the surname Harrow encapsulates a rich geographical, linguistic and cultural heritage, with its roots firmly planted in the ancient landscape of the British Isles and its branches extending across the world through migration and settlement.
Typical given names associated with the Harrow surname
Male
- Andrew
- David
- George
- James
- John
- Paul
- Simon
- Stephen
- Thomas
- William
Female
- Beverley
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Jacqueline
- Karen
- Linsay
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
- Veronica
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Harrow in...
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There are approximately 1,047 people named Harrow in the UK. That makes it roughly the 7,113th most common surname in Britain. Around 16 in a million people in Britain are named Harrow.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Harrow
- Jack Harrow - Football player (1888 to 1958)
- Andy Harrow - Scottish football player and manager
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.