Arlo
Arlo is a boys' name of English origin meaning “fortified hill.” It ranked #148 in the United States in 2025. Arlo likely derives from an Old English term for a fortified hill.
how do you pronounce Arlo?
AR-loh
Hear it spoken aloud with our AI pronunciation tool.
what does Arlo mean?
The name Arlo means “fortified hill.” It comes from the English language tradition.
Arlo likely derives from an Old English term for a fortified hill. It was popularized by folk singer Arlo Guthrie and has become a modern favorite for its warm, approachable two-syllable sound.
where does the name Arlo come from?
Wikipedia's account differs from the fortified hill gloss given elsewhere: it says Arlo was evidently invented by the poet Edmund Spenser as the name of a hill where the gods debate in his poem The Faerie Queene, and separately notes that some sources give an Old English origin meaning endless energy rather than any sense involving a hill or fortification.
the history of Arlo
Its first recorded use, per Wikipedia, is literary: Spenser is credited with coining it for that hill in the sixteenth century, predating its use as a given name for people.
how popular is this name?
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | #148 |
| 2024 | #146 |
| 2023 | #158 |
| 2022 | #169 |
| 2021 | #190 |
| 2020 | #220 |
Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset
who are famous people named Arlo?
- Arlo Guthrie (folk singer)
- Arlo Parks (British singer-songwriter)
- Arlo (Pixar's The Good Dinosaur)
what names are similar to Arlo?
what names go well with Arlo?
Sibling names that share Arlo's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 · Curated by HushName editorial
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