Barrow

A surname.

Proper noun

  1. A surname.
  2. Former name of Utqiagvik, the borough seat of North Slope Borough, Alaska, renamed in 2016.
  3. An unincorporated community in Greene County, Illinois.
  4. A number of places in England:

    1. A civil parish in Cheshire West and Chester district, Cheshire, which includes the settlements of Great Barrow and Little Barrow.

    2. A civil parish with a town council in Westmorland and Furness, Cumbria, which replaced the Borough of Barrow-in-Furness on 1 April 2023.

    3. A hamlet in Boddington parish, Tewkesbury district, Gloucestershire (OS grid ref SO8824).

    4. A village and civil parish in Ribble Valley district, Lancashire, previously in Wiswell parish (OS grid ref SD7338).

    5. A village and civil parish (without a council) in Rutland (OS grid ref SK8915).

    6. A hamlet and civil parish in Much Wenlock ward, Shropshire (OS grid ref SJ6500).

    7. A hamlet in Charlton Musgrove parish, Somerset, previously in South Somerset district (OS grid ref ST7232).

    8. A hamlet in North Wootton parish, Somerset, previously in Mendip district (OS grid ref ST5541).

    9. A hamlet in Wentworth parish, Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham, South Yorkshire (OS grid ref SK3798).

    10. A village and civil parish (served by Barrow cum Denham Parish Council) in West Suffolk district, Suffolk, previously in St Edmundsbury district (OS grid ref TL7663).

  5. A river in eastern Ireland, which flows from County Laois, via County Kildare, County Kilkenny, County Carlow, County Wexford and County Waterford to Waterford Harbour.

Origin

English surname, from placenames derived from Old English bearu (“grove”). The place in Furness is of Celtic origin, from *barros (“promontory, peak”) + Old Norse ey (“island”). The place in Alaska, now known as Utqiagvik, was named after nearby Point Barrow (Nuvuk). In 1826, Point Barrow was named after Sir John Barrow, a British geographer.

Forms

Barrows

Derived

Barrow Bay Barrow County Barrow Gurney Barrow Haven Barrow Hill Barrow-in-Furness Barrow Island Barrow upon Humber Barrow upon Soar Barrow upon Trent Donnai-Barrow syndrome North Barrow Point Barrow South Barrow