Show ContentsDarrow History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Darrow

What does the name Darrow mean?

The current generations of the Darrow family have inherited a surname that was first used hundreds of years ago by descendants of the ancient Scottish tribe called the Picts. The Darrow family lived in Darroch in Stirlinghsire. The name could also be derived a form of the lost name MacDara which meant son of oak and others believe the name is from Dath riabhach. Literally, the name comes from the Gaelic "darach" which means "oak tree."

Early Origins of the Darrow family

The surname Darrow was first found in Stirlingshire, where one of the first records of the family was John Darach who was bailie of Stirling in 1406. "John Darach de Cruce mentioned in 1445 may be John Darraugh, commissioner for the burgh of Stirling in 1450. Jonete Daroch is in record in 1458, and Mariote Darrauch appears as nurse of the Lady Margaret, second daughter of James II., 1462." 1

Early History of the Darrow family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Darrow research. Another 396 words (28 lines of text) covering the years 1301, 1406, 1462, 1471, 1477, 1482, 1500, 1505, 1522, 1525, 1545, 1550, 1574, 1608, 1620, 1629, 1632, 1684, 1784 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Darrow History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Darrow Spelling Variations

Scribes in the Middle Ages did not have access to a set of spelling rules. They spelled according to sound, the result was a great number of spelling variations. In various documents, Darrow has been spelled Darroch, Darrow, Darrach, Daroch, Darach, Darragh, Darrogh, Darrioch, Darraugh, Darrough and many more.

Early Notables of the Darrow family

Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Darrow Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Darrow Ranking

In the United States, the name Darrow is the 5,411st most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Darrow family to Ireland

Some of the Darrow family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 58 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Darrow migration to the United States +

The cruelties suffered under the new government forced many to leave their ancient homeland for the freedom of the North American colonies. Those who arrived safely found land, freedom, and opportunity for the taking. These hardy settlers gave their strength and perseverance to the young nations that would become the United States and Canada. Immigration and passenger lists have shown many early immigrants bearing the name Darrow:

Darrow Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Anne Darrow, who arrived in Virginia in 1652
  • Thomas Darrow, who arrived in Virginia in 1652 3
  • Sgt George Darrow (born circa 1652 in Scotland), who was on record in New London, Connecticut, in 1675
Darrow Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • George Darrow, who settled in West New Jersey in 1720
  • Captain Darrow, who served in the third Connecticut Regiment in the War of Independence in 1778
Darrow Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • T Darrow, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 3
  • Daniel Darrow, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 3
  • J H Darrow, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 3
Darrow Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Charles F. Darrow, aged 23, who arrived in New York in 1921 aboard the ship "Jekri" from Liverpool, England 4
  • Mildred Darrow, aged 21, who arrived in New York, NY in 1921 aboard the ship "Fort Hamilton" from Hamilton, Bermuda 4

Darrow migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Darrow Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. George Darrow, (Darrell), (b. 1817), aged 26, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years for larceny, transported aboard the "Emerald Isle" on 28th June 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 5

Darrow migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 6
Darrow Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Jane Darrow, who settled in Barbados in 1660

Contemporary Notables of the name Darrow (post 1700) +

  • Clarence Seward Darrow (1857-1938), American lawyer and leading member of the American Civil Liberties Union
  • Charles Darrow (1889-1967), American businessman who designed the Monopoly board game and sold the patent to Parker Brothers
  • Henry Darrow (1933-2021), born Enrique Tomás Delgado Jiménez, an American character actor of stage and film known for his role as Manolito "Mano" Montoya on the 1960s television series The High Chaparral and Zorro's father on the popular 1990s TV series
  • William "Bill" Darrow, American Professor of Public Health at Florida International University
  • Geof Darrow (b. 1955), American comic artist, who co-won the 1991 Eisner Award for Best Writer and Artist
  • John Darrow (1904-1980), American actor
  • Benjamin Darrow (b. 1868), American lawyer, politician and author
  • George Potter Darrow (1859-1943), American politician, member of the U.S. House of Representatives
  • Paul Darrow (1941-2019), born Paul Birkby, English actor, best known for his role as Kerr Avon in the 1970s BBC science fiction television series Blake's 7
  • Logan Darrow Clements, American Republican politician, Candidate for Governor of California, 2003 7


The Darrow 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: Be Watchful


  1. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  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. Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia. Retrieved 25th March 2022 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emerald-isle
  6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  7. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 20) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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