Darrow
A surname with uncertain origins, probably from an older nickname or place-name source rather than a single clear family line.
The #5,946 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 53,315 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Darrow is not clearly explained by the excerpts provided, and the older sources appear only to mention it in passing rather than define it. In English surname scholarship, forms like this are often treated as either a nickname or a locational name, but the exact root for Darrow remains uncertain from these citations alone. The name may preserve an older dialect form or shortened place-based surname, but the evidence here is too thin to state a firm literal meaning.
History
The name appears in historical surname lists and has survived into modern use, though it has never been especially common. The 2010 U.S. Census count suggests a modest but established American presence. Because the cited sources do not give a direct derivation, its early development is best treated cautiously.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The surname is uncommon enough that modern bearers are relatively easy to trace in records, yet its linguistic origin remains frustratingly elusive.
From the historical record
“Darrigon, 429. Darroll, 458. Darrow, 429. Dart, 376, 378. Dartady, 429. Darton, 300.”
— Suffolk Surnames (3rd ed.)