Andrew Name Meaning, Origins & History

Andrew

Pronunciation: AN-droo

Meaning Masculine Origin Ancient Greek Gender Boy
BOYS RANK
#73
TREND
5
GIRLS RANK
#13,336
TREND
3,029

Rank shows the name’s position among U.S. baby names for each gender in 2025. Trend shows how many places it rose or fell since 2024. Rank 1 is the most popular. Based on U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) data. Peak and lowest years are based on the number of boys named Andrew in the available records.

Fun Facts About the Name Andrew

  • A favorite across generations: Andrew stayed in the U.S. top 100 every year from 1880 through 2025 - 146 consecutive years.
  • An all-time favorite: U.S. records show 1,329,390 boys named Andrew from 1880 through 2025.
  • Still popular, but losing ground: Andrew's rank fell 62 places between 1995 and 2025, while remaining in the top 100.
  • More than 1 million babies named Andrew: U.S. records list 1,334,349 babies given the name Andrew from 1880 through 2025. Even 4,959 girls received the name Andrew - about 1 girl for every 268 boys.

What Does the Name Andrew Mean?

Andrew is the English form of the Greek name Ἀνδρέας (Andreas), which is built on the Greek noun ἀνήρ (anēr), meaning "man" or "adult male," and its genitive stem ἀνδρ- (andr-). The usual translation is "manly" or "masculine." The precise way Andreas was formed is not entirely certain: some treat it as a shortened, affectionate form of a longer compound name such as Ἀνδρόκλης (Androkles), while others read it as a simple derivative of the noun. The name entered the New Testament as the name of the apostle Andrew, brother of Simon Peter, and that use is what carried it into later European languages.

Andrew Name History & Origins

Andrew reaches English through Latin Andreas, which was taken from Greek Ἀνδρέας. In the Gospels, Andrew is a fisherman from Bethsaida who is named among the first followers of Jesus and who brings his brother Simon Peter to him. Christian tradition, rather than the biblical text itself, holds that he preached in Greece and Asia Minor and was put to death on an X-shaped cross, which is why that cross is called a St. Andrew's cross.

The name spread with Christianity and was used in Greek, Latin, and the early Christian communities. It appears in medieval England as Andreu, borrowed from Old French forms such as Andrieu and Andreu, and it became common in England in the centuries after the Norman Conquest. It remained especially widespread in Scotland, where Andrew is the patron saint; the town of St Andrews and the saltire on the Scottish flag are both associated with him.

Other European languages developed their own forms from the same source, including Andreas (German, Scandinavian, Greek), Anders (Swedish, Danish), André (French), Andrea (Italian, usually a masculine name there), Andrei (Russian, Romanian), Andriy (Ukrainian), and Andrés (Spanish). The English short form Drew developed as a familiar abbreviation of Andrew.

How Popular is the Name Andrew?

Andrew has maintained century-spanning popularity, remaining an unbroken fixture in the U.S. top 100 continuously from 1880 to 2025.

U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.

Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.

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How the Name Andrew Shapes Your Personality and Life?

Powerful and complete. You are good intellectually and require several outlets for your energies. You are not a builder but a planner, and you want others to carry out your plans. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.

You are always looking for an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.

✦ Andrew's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Andrew's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.
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