Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Drew

Drew is an abbreviated form of Andrew which is the anglicized form of the Greek name “Andreas”, stemming from ‘andr’ which translates into “man” or “warrior”. In the Bible, Saint Andrew was a Galilean fisherman and the brother of St. Peter. He was also a disciple of John the Baptist and one of the first to recognize Jesus as the Messiah. Saint Andrew became one of the most popular saints in the Middle Ages and was chosen to be the patron saint of Russia, Greece and Scotland. Andrew has long been a widely popular boys’ name in the English-speaking world; however, both Andrew and Drew have been perennial favorites in Scotland ever since St. Andrew was adopted as their patron saint. It was also believed that an angel instructed a monk to carry St. Andrew’s relics to “the ends of the earth” – and ordered to stop at modern day St. Andrews, Scotland (home of the famous golf course). Another legend suggests that St. Andrew appeared to a Pictish king urging him to join forces with the Scots in order to defeat the English (which proved fruitful advice). The name Drew in Scotland is also sometimes linked to the old Celtic “draoi” which means ‘dealer in magic’. Drew is considered a male name, but it is also sometimes used for girls.

All About the Baby Name – Drew

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME DREW

The number Five personality loves the excitement of life and can easily adapt to all situations. As natural adventurers, these personalities thrive on the new and unexpected and prefer to be in constant motion. It makes them feel alive. They'll stir up some action if there's not enough around, and as inherent risk-takers they enjoy pushing the envelope. Naturally rebellious, the Five personality has no fear and never resists change.  Traveling and new experiences feed their souls. Fives are very social and attract friends with ease. People love to be around the Five fun-loving and exciting energy.  This is also a lucky number in numerology (like the Threes), so fortune seems to shine on them, helped along by their own optimism and good-nature. Fives have a quick wit, a cerebral mind, and are generally very persuasive. 

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME DREW

The name Drew has been in use in America since the U.S. government began tracking naming trends in 1880, although it was never a huge favorite. It would not stick to the charts consistently until the 1940s. The name grew in popularity as the decades progressed and by the mid-1980s, Drew reached the height of his popularity. The name did not quite make the Top 100 list of most commonly used boy names, but it did come close. Today, the male name Drew is still hanging onto moderately high levels of usage. For girls, Drew appeared on the naming charts briefly between the years 1994 and 2005, and then fell off. Clearly, Drew’s emergence on the female charts was influenced by Drew Barrymore, one of America’s favorite darlings ever since the movie E.T. Many American parents like strong, masculine or androgynous names for their little girls, so we’re not surprised Drew was in use for a while. In any case, today, Drew is almost exclusively a male name. It’s a quick, one-syllable name with ‘manliness’ and confidence.

Quick Facts

ON DREW

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

English

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

1

RANKING POPULARITY:

297

PRONUNCIATION:

DROO

SIMPLE MEANING:

Manly, warrior

Characteristics

OF DREW

Freedom-loving

Adventurous

Adaptable

Intellectual

Easygoing

Progressive

Sensual

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Drew

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME DREW

Carson Drew is Nancy's father, a widower, and a respected lawyer in River Heights. Like his daughter, Carson has brown-hair and blue eyes. He enlists the help of his daughter for many of his cases and gets the young sleuth on her path. He guides her and assists her when necessary, both as an admiring co-professional and as a father. He frequently leaves Nancy to her investigations while he travels on business.

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Drew

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME DREW

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Drew


Popular Songs

ON DREW

True Drew
a song by Diesel Boy

Nancy Drew
a song by Relient K

Famous People

NAMED DREW

Drew Barrymore (actress)
Drew Carey (game show host)
Drew Bledsoe (football player)
Drew Barrymore (actress)
Drew Carey (game show host)
Drew Bledsoe (football player)
Drew Barrymore (actress)
Drew Carey (game show host)
Drew Bledsoe (football player)

Children of Famous People

NAMED DREW

Jessica Simpson;

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME DREW

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Drew