Farrow as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Farrow

What is the meaning of the name Farrow ?

The baby name Farrow is a Unisex name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈfɑːroʊ/ (FAR-oh); US variant often /ˈfæroʊ/.

Farrow is English in Origin.

Farrow is an English surname-turned-given name with roots in Old English fearh, “young pig” or “piglet”; by extension, farrow became the term for a sow’s litter and the act of bearing it. As a byname it likely denoted a swineherd or someone associated with pig breeding, an occupational label common in medieval naming. Some scholars also connect it with Middle English color words related to “fallow,” but the animal sense is the best-attested etymology. Meaning ranges from “piglet; litter” to “one who tends swine.”

Found in East Anglia and northern England from the 13th–14th centuries, Farrow appears in records as Farrowe and Farowe. It moved into first-name use in the late 20th century, embraced as a sleek, modern, unisex option akin to Harlow or Arrow. Notable bearers of the surname, such as actor Mia Farrow, have kept it visible. Today, the preferred spelling for the given name remains Farrow.

⚙ Farrow is exceptionally rare. Our whole dataset turns up only 17 recorded uses, across 8 countries.