Today’s choice has been worn by kings and saints, presidents and protesters – and almost certainly a fellow or two in your life.
Thanks to Kelly for suggesting Andrew as Name of the Day.
Ask most anyone if Andrew fits their definition of a normal name, and you’ll probably get a yes. Most would also consider Andrew a classic.
Make no mistake, Andrew is evergreen. With Biblical and royal roots, you can find an Andrew who has excelled in nearly any field of endeavor. Andrew has always charted in the US Top 100.
But until the 1980s, Andrew had never cracked the Top Ten. Frank, Donald and Larry, yes. Jeffrey, Jason and Brian, too. Joshua joined the fraternity in 1979, but Andrew didn’t arrive until 1986.
Not only was 1986 his first appearance in the Top Ten, but for a while Andrew was somewhat out of favor, dropping to a low of #70 in 1954.
There are plenty of good reasons to use Andrew, including:
- The first Saint Andrew numbered among the original twelve apostles;
- Six more Andrews, from a third century bishop to an nineteenth century Vietnamese martyr, are also considered saints;
- Three kings of Hungary, and plenty of princes have worn the name;
- Two US presidents – Jackson and Johnson – shared the moniker;
- Then there’s industrialist-turned-philanthropist Andrew Carnegie;
- Soviet dissident and human rights activist Andrei Sakharov won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1975;
- Creative types have included artist Andy Warhol, Broadway’s Andrew Lloyd Weber, French writer André Malraux, conductor André Previn and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, among many others. Rapper Dr. Dre started out as an Andre, too;
- Plenty of athletes have worn variations of the name, too, including tennis’ Andre Agassi.
The original Saint Andrew is Scotland’s patron saint – and there’s something of a brisk, highland style to the name. There’s also a university and a world famous golf course named in his honor. Saint Andrew’s Day – November 30 – kicks off the Scottish holiday season.
Andrew was on the upswing when Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip chose it for their second son, born in 1960. He was named after his grandfather, Prince Philip’s father, Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark.
Andrew’s meaning is appealing. He comes from the Greek andreios – manly. It’s sometimes said to mean strong. That’s not wrong, but it is a stretch.
Perhaps Andrew was slow to catch on because of his -oo sound. Until recent decades, boys’ names almost always ended in a consonant, or possibly a -y. Then came Joshua. And Noah.
If that sounds far-fetched, consider that fellow apostle Matthew didn’t even appear in the US Top 100 for decades. (He joined the US Top Ten in 1972.)
If the nickname Andy feels slightly dated – or perhaps too boyish, Drew remains an attractive option.
Parents continue to choose the name. He’s not unusual – in fact, he just left the Top Ten in 2008, after over a decade. But he is a solid choice, with history to spare.
Sorry to be critical, but you really half-assed the page for Andrew. I mean sure it’s a normal name, but so’s John & that names page goes on & on. Overall I’m huge fan of the blog, but why ever bother having a page for Andrew if this it? Sorry again, I really don’t mean to tell you how to run your website, but the people who visit are likely going to look up names of loved ones, and if this is what comes up when the look up Andrew, many people are gonna find it very off-putting, if I hadn’t have proceeded to look up my son’s middle name (John) I’d have just assumed all of the names pages were this minimal & not read anymore of your blog. I’m glad I did look up John bc when you actually write about a name you do a great job, I just wish this page was more on par with the rest of your work.
So … about four years ago, the blog grew so big that I moved to a new host. When the old posts were transferred, a few hundred of them got stuck. I can still see them in the administrative side, but they don’t display correctly unless I manually go in and restore them. There were almost 1,700 entries back then – and over 2,800 now! Despite several attempts at seeking them out, it feels like there are always a few more out there. Whenever readers find them, I do my best to restore them immediately – if you look at Andrew now, you’ll see that it’s back. EDITED TO ADD: And if anyone does find a post that looks weirdly incomplete – usually just a line or three,sometimes an image, please leave a comment – it’s incredibly helpful!
Oh I see! Well thank you, this page is great now!
For as long as I can remember, Andrew has been my top choice for a boy’s name. It doesn’t feel overused to me because I don’t know many Andrews. As male names go, I think Andrew is just about perfect.
This is a lovely line :Make no mistake, Andrew is evergreen.
Andrew isn’t a bad name. It just seems a bit too used .I don’t think it is nice enough for its popularity. The Andrews that I have known haven’t inspired a love of the name. It’s one of those names that is occasionally irritating
Sorry for being a Grinch lol! I feel bad as none of the names have as yet grabbed me (except for Tallulah. I’m not trying to be Simon Cowell here!)
😀 The whole city of St Andrew’s is named after him, in fact! [Although it’s WAY too small to be a city. It only gets that status because of the old cathedral] The golf course and University are named that way because they’re in St Andrew’s.
But Andrew is an awesome name. I know someone who gained the nickname 2.0 ‘cos they were the second Andrew in the group.
Thanks, Isla. What’s the symbol for blushing?
Raise your hand if you’ve never been to Scotland, but always meant to go.
Am now waving my hand furiously. 🙂
I like Andrew well enough. It’s an attractive name, but not one that I’ve ever considered a favourite. As a little girl my first major crush was an Andrew..
I absolutely love Andrew – it is the name of my youngest. It is such a classic and I like nearly all its cognates.
My brother WOULD have been Andrew, except after three girls, my father insisted on an Eric Jr. It’s a handsome name.
I know a 2 year old Andrew. He goes by Drew or Drew-Drew. I also know a 3 year old Andrew. It’s a cute name on them.
It’s not one that I personally considered, as I know a couple of Andrews my age and I wanted a name that I didn’t know anyone personally with.
I have a cousin named Andrew, and his younger brother has it for a middle. Yes, their names are Andrew Joseph & Joseph Andrew. To credit, our maternal Grandpop was Joseph Andrew himself: the drunken coal miner patriarch. (oh the stories of him would burn your ears off!)
My mother had thought to name me or my kid brother Andrew but Pop said the inside out cousins were enough (they’re older by 8 years or so). And I’m rather glad. Steven fits my brother much better. (always wished he was Stephen, though).
Andrew’s lovely in his own right, though and I do like him quite a bit but it’s never going on any kid I may ever have. I know far too many Andrews/Drews/Andys personally. Too confusing to outright duplicate it yet again. But so handsome! 🙂
As an aside, if Stephen/Steven hasn’t been done (I’ll go check in a sec), would you be so kind as to put him on the calendar for my darling kid brother? 😀
I have a brother Andrew and have always thought his name incredibly handsome. It’s a solid name that seems very appealing without going bland. Truly timeless.
Mom says that if I hadn’t been Joy, I would have been Andrew, so this is one of my favorite names. Andy Griffith is another notable Andrew, and I love both nicknames, Andy and Drew.
Andrew is classic, strong, biblical, historic, traditional and unlikely to transition into a girl’s name.