What Does the Name Marlowe Mean?

Marlowe is a unisex name of Old English (place-name/surname-derived) origin meaning “"Remnants/remains of a lake" (mere "lake" + lafe "remnants").”

Updated June 2026

Name	Marlowe
Gender	unisex
Origin	Old English (place-name/surname-derived)
Meaning	"Remnants/remains of a lake" (mere "lake" + lafe "remnants")
Variants	Marlow, Marlo, Marloe
Popularity	A modern given name used for both sexes; the -owe spelling skews female in the US, while Marlow is used more evenly, so it reads as unisex.

The meaning and origin of Marlowe

The name Marlowe means “"Remnants/remains of a lake" (mere "lake" + lafe "remnants")” and has Old English (place-name/surname-derived) origins. From the English town of Marlow and surname, from Old English mere "lake, pool" and laf "remains, remnants," meaning land left by a drained lake. Associated with playwright Christopher Marlowe.

Variants and related names

Marlowe is related to several other names you may recognize: Marlow, Marlo, Marloe. These share a common root or are spelling and language variants of the same name.

How popular is the name Marlowe?

A modern given name used for both sexes; the -owe spelling skews female in the US, while Marlow is used more evenly, so it reads as unisex.

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