Message: "Arlo" - Behind the Name

Arlo

by Kirushka

7/6/2010, 5:24 AM

Does anyone have trustworthy information on the male name Arlo? I heard of a little American boy named Arlo, apart from him the only one I know of is musician Arlo Guthrie, son of Woody. Arlo Guthrie's mother was Jewish, is it possibly a Jiddish name?

Thanks for your help!

#Arlo

This message was edited 7/6/2010, 5:27 AM

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- Caitlin žita (earthnut)

8/12/2010, 12:08 PM

According to the submitted names database, it could possibly mean 'barberry' in Spanish or an Italian variant of Charles. I would like to know if there's any truth to these claims. I too met a baby boy named Arlo recently who was named after Arlo Guthrie and it got me thinking about the name.

- Cleveland Kent Evans (clevelandkentevans) +2

7/12/2010, 5:19 PM

This is a hard one to be sure about, but when I was trying to research this name back in 2004 I found that Arlo is the name of a hill where the gods debate in Edmund Spenser's poem The Faerie Queen, which was published around 1596. It is possibly related to Harlow, an English place name and surname that originally meant "army hill".

It's unusual for fictional place names to be given to children, but there are some other examples. I have seen several examples of girls named Avonlea, after a fictional place in the Anne of Green Gables books.

This message was edited 7/12/2010, 5:19 PM

- R. Niles (guest)

8/16/2010, 3:54 PM

Arlo: "Probably from the Old English, meaning 'fortified hill.'"

This definition is from: KOLATCH, Alfred J. "Complete Dictionary of English and Hebrew First Names," published in 1984.

R. Niles

- Kirushka

8/4/2010, 10:00 AM

Interesting. Seems like this is a tricky one. Thank you for your help!

- Dracotorix

7/8/2010, 1:17 PM

I know an American Arlo, but other than that I don't know any info.

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