This interesting and unusual Medieval English name is the Northern variant of the surname Barrow, and has two possible meanings, the first being that it is topographic for a dweller by a hill or a burial mound, from the Old English pre 7th "beorg", a hillock, or mound. Alternatively, it may be locational from Barugh in North Yorkshire (pronounced "barf", which is another variant of this name and comes from Barff Hill also in Yorkshire). Barugh appears as "Berg" in the Domesday Book of 1086, and both placenames derive from the Old English "beorg", as before. Amongst the early recordings in Yorkshire are, William Bargh who married Jane Grene on June 1st 1576 at Aberford, and Anna Bargh the daughter of Franc Bargh who was christened on March 4th 1632 at St. Peter's, Sheffield. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Robert de Bargh, which was dated 1310, The Fines Court of Suffolk, during the reign of King Edward II, "Edward of Caernafon", 1307 - 1327. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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