Andrew

“Andrew is an English boy’s name meaning “manly,” “strong,” or “brave.” It comes from the Greek Andreas, rooted in words associated with “man” and courage.”

Andrew is a classic English form of the Greek name Andreas, a name with a long, steady history and a meaning that feels both strong and dignified. Andreas is connected to the Greek word aner, with the stem andros, meaning “man,” and to andreios, often understood as “manly” or “masculine.” Over time, that sense expanded into qualities traditionally associated with courage: brave, strong, courageous, and warrior-like. For modern families, Andrew does not have to feel narrow or old-fashioned in its meaning. Its strength can be read warmly as steadiness, integrity, confidence, and the courage to be kind. Historically, Andrew traveled through Latin as Andreas and Old French forms such as Andreu or Andrieu before becoming the familiar English Andrew. Its path through Greek, Latin, French, and English gives it a quietly international quality, even while it feels especially at home in English-speaking communities. The name has many related forms across languages, including André, Andreas, Anders, Andrés, Andrei, Andrzej, Andriy, Ondřej, and Andrea in some cultures. These variants show how widely the name has been adopted across Christian and European naming traditions. Andrew is also deeply connected with the New Testament figure Saint Andrew, one of the twelve Apostles and traditionally the first disciple to follow Jesus. Because of this, the name has been common in various spellings throughout the Christian world and became especially popular in the Middle Ages. Today, Andrew feels timeless rather than trendy: familiar, easy to pronounce, and rich with history. Its nicknames Andy and Drew give parents flexibility, offering both a friendly, boy-next-door option and a sleek, modern-sounding short form.