What Does the Name Arlo Mean?

Arlo is a boy's name of English (literary, uncertain) origin meaning “uncertain.”

Updated June 2026

Name	Arlo
Gender	male
Origin	English (literary, uncertain)
Meaning	uncertain
Variants	Carlo, Arlow, Harlow
Popularity	Surged dramatically in recent years across the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, where it ranks in the top 50, and is climbing fast in the US.

The meaning and origin of Arlo

The name Arlo means “uncertain” and has English (literary, uncertain) origins. Arlo is of uncertain origin, perhaps invented by poet Edmund Spenser as the place name 'Arlo Hill' in 'The Faerie Queene' (1590), possibly an alteration of the Irish place name Aherlow ('between two highlands'). It is also sometimes treated as a variant of Carlo or Charles.

Variants and related names

Arlo is related to several other names you may recognize: Carlo, Arlow, Harlow. These share a common root or are spelling and language variants of the same name.

How popular is the name Arlo?

Surged dramatically in recent years across the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, where it ranks in the top 50, and is climbing fast in the US.

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