Publicity still
Jean Harlow publicity still from 1930; Image via Wikipedia

She’s a 21st century discovery rich with Golden Age Hollywood glamor.

Thanks to Virginia for suggesting Harlow as our Baby Name of the Day.

Harlow started out as a surname, and like many a surname, there is more than one possible origin.

About Abby Sandel

Whether you're naming a baby, or just all about names, you've come to the right place! Appellation Mountain is a haven for lovers of obscure gems and enduring classics alike.

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What do you think?

24 Comments

  1. my aunt whose own middle name was Quinn and was horribly obsessed with comic books though naming me Harlow Quinn à la Harley Quinn would be cool, 16 years down the line and I don’t refgret her choice at all, it’s spunky and kind of gothic, which is very me, I simply adore Jean Harlow and Good Charlotte, so when Joel named his daughter Harlow I was over the moon, some people hate it but most people I met love it and think it’s very unique

  2. Love it. Reminds me the of the “cool” era of Hollywood, where the people were genuinely talented and the beauties were genuinely beautiful and not filled with collagen and plastic. It’s got a retro vibe and is one of those names that flow off the tongue rhythmically. I would definitely consider it.

    It’s one of the names that divide people – which isn’t a bad thing. That means, that it probably won’t get too popular, but when you know someone with the name, your association changes.

    The “harlot” bit doesn’t phase me, as the most common of names have bad rhymes e.g. Luke Puke.

    1. That’s a nice point about dividing lines, Saffa. I find that I often like names but would never, ever use them – and I’d probably have dismissed them a few years ago, pre-AppMtn.

  3. Sorry, but I just think it’s an ugly name. Like Harley, it’s just so heavy and thick for a girl. Completely unattractive.

  4. Sorry for being late! Had a busy week, just checked my email.
    Having a niece named Harlow, who just turned two, I immediately thing of a little girl bouncing around and waiting to be tickled. When I first heard the name I thought, “What was my brother thinking?” Now I have gotten used to it, the name doesn’t bother me anymore.

  5. I was racking my brain trying to figure out what it was about this name that makes it unappealing to me when I realised it was that ends-in-o sound. Still not a fan (except for Margot). The harlot thing doesn’t really phase me, however, since my own name rhymes with the word.

  6. I don’t see harlot. I like the sound of Harlow…makes me think of Willow and “wind blows.”

    I don’t care for Hallow at all due to Halloween (All Hallows Eve)! And doesn’t one of the Harry Potter books have “Deathly Hallows” in the title?

    Loved the mention of Foy–my grandfather had a cousin named Foy, probably born around 1905.