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The short answer
Arlo is a masculine English name of uncertain meaning. Behind the Name says it "was perhaps inspired by the fictional place name Arlo Hill from the poem The Faerie Queene (1590) by Edmund Spenser", and adds that "Spenser probably got Arlo by altering the real Irish place name Aherlow, meaning 'between two highlands'". So the most likely chain runs from an Irish valley name through a Renaissance poem to a modern given name, but none of the links is certain. It is usually pronounced AR-loh. In the United States Arlo ranked #148 for boys in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
Behind the Name opens its Arlo entry with "Meaning uncertain." The only origin it offers is speculative: the name may have been inspired by Arlo Hill, a fictional place in Edmund Spenser's 1590 poem The Faerie Queene, and Spenser in turn probably formed Arlo by altering Aherlow, a real Irish place name meaning "between two highlands". The entry lists no roots, variants or related names, which is unusual for a name this common and reflects how thin the documented history is.
Editorial confidence: uncertain
Linguistic roots
| Language | Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| English (literary) | Arlo Hill | fictional place name in Spenser's The Faerie Queene (1590); possible inspiration |
| Irish | Aherlow | between two highlands (place name Spenser probably altered) |
Competing or overlapping origins
- Behind the Name presents the Spenser/Aherlow route as a possibility ("perhaps", "probably") rather than an established etymology; no alternative derivation is offered in the entry.
Popularity
Arlo ranked #148 for boys in the United States in 2025 (Social Security Administration). Behind the Name gives no historical popularity narrative for the name.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #148 | ssa-2025 |
Nicknames, variants, and related names
Nicknames: None documented.
Variants: None documented.
Related names: None documented.
What the name feels like
Arlo is short, two syllables, ending in the open -o that many parents currently favour for boys. It feels friendly and a little folksy, and because its history is so thin it carries few fixed associations, which lets it read as fresh rather than revived.
Style tags: two syllables, -o ending, modern favourite, uncertain origin, short
Editorial interpretation: These style impressions are editorial judgment, not linguistic fact. Behind the Name lists no nicknames, variants or related names for Arlo, so the lists above are empty rather than invented.
If you like this name
Names that share Arlo's short shape and open -o ending, or its easygoing modern feel.
Similar by sound
Similar by style
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Arlo mean?
The meaning is uncertain. Behind the Name suggests it may come from Arlo Hill, a fictional place in Edmund Spenser's poem The Faerie Queene (1590), which Spenser probably adapted from the Irish place name Aherlow, meaning "between two highlands".
Is Arlo a popular name?
Yes. Arlo ranked #148 for boys in the United States in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.
How do you pronounce Arlo?
Arlo is usually pronounced AR-loh, with the stress on the first syllable. Behind the Name does not provide an IPA transcription for the name.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Arlo — supports etymology, uncertainty of meaning, Spenser and Aherlow note.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
