Show ContentsParlow History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the bearers of the Parlow family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in either Lancashire, Derbyshire, or Yorkshire, where there were places named Barlow. In Yorkshire, Barlow is an area in the parish of Brayton in the West Riding.

Early Origins of the Parlow family

The surname Parlow was first found in Barlow, Manchester. "The Lancashire Barlows spring from Barlow Hale and Barlow Moor, near Manchester. The name has ramified in an extraordinary manner. Barlow is also a parish in Derbyshire, near Chesterfield, but nearly all our Barlows trace back to the neighbourhood of Manchester. The Barlows of Barlow Hale (whence William Barlow, bishop of Lincoln, born about 1550) were seated there so early as 20 Richard II (during the twentieth year of Richard II's reign.) The first entry below probably represents Barlow, a chapelry in the parish of Brayton, West Riding Yorkshire. " 1

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Johannes de Berlowe as holding lands there at that time.

"The Lancashire Barlows included an ancient knightly family of Barlow Hall, near Manchester, in the 16th and 17th centuries, and carried their pedigree back to the reign of Edward I. " 2

Early History of the Parlow family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Parlow research. Another 173 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1304, 1550, 1583, 1584, 1585, 1607, 1620, 1626, 1634, 1639, 1656, 1676, 1691, 1704, 1719 and 1932 are included under the topic Early Parlow History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Parlow Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Parlow include Barlow, Barlowe, Barlo, Barloe and others.

Early Notables of the Parlow family

Notables of the family at this time include Arthur Barlowe (ca. 1550-1620), one of two British captains who, under the direction of Sir Walter Raleigh, left England in 1584 to find land in North America to claim for Queen Elizabeth I of England, he landed at what is now known as the Pamlico Sound of North Carolina; Dom William Rudesind Barlow (1585-1656), generally known during his adult life as Rudesind Barlow...
Another 71 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Parlow Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Parlow family to Ireland

Some of the Parlow family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Parlow migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Parlow or a variant listed above:

Parlow Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Karl Friedrich Parlow, who arrived in America in 1839 3

Canada Parlow migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Parlow Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. John Parlow U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 4
  • Mr. Lawrence Parlow U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Parlow (post 1700) +

  • Cynthia Parlow, American soccer player
  • Maida Parlow, Canadian author and artist
  • Kathleen Parlow (1890-1963), Canadian child prodigy with her outstanding technique with a violin


The Parlow Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: En foi prest
Motto Translation: Ready in faith.


  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  3. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  4. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X


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