Surname Andrew - Meaning and Origin
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Q. Andrew
read moreAndrew: What does the surname Andrew mean?
The last name Andrew is derived from the Greek personal name Andreas. It is a patronymic surname, meaning it was initially given to people who were "sons of Andrew." In the Greek language, Andreas means manly or brave, and it is connected to the Greek word for man, "aner." The name gained popularity due to St. Andrew, a disciple of Jesus Christ, who is considered the patron saint of Scotland, Russia, Greece, and Romania. Over time, Andrew evolved into many variations worldwide including Andrews, Anderson, McAndrew (Scottish form), Andre (French form), De Andreis (Italian form), Andries (Dutch form), and Andresen (Norwegian form) etc. The spread of this surname across Europe and eventually North America, happened over centuries, starting with the spread of Christianity. Its usage as a last name in Britain began around the 12th century.
Order DNA origin analysisAndrew: Where does the name Andrew come from?
The surname Andrew originated from Scotland and is derived from the personal name Andrew, which means "manly" in Greek. Its popularity in Scotland is attributed to Saint Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland. It was common for people to adopt surnames based on the names of saints during medieval times as a sign of religious devotion.
While the surname Andrew remains common in Scotland, it has also spread to other parts of the world due to migration and colonization. Today, it's quite prevalent in countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, and England. It has various forms in other languages too, such as Andersson in Swedish or Andreou in Greek. Despite its widespread usage, the highest density of people with the surname Andrew still exists in Scotland and the northern parts of England.
Variations of the surname Andrew
The surname Andrew is believed to have its origins in the personal name Andrew, which comes from the Greek name Andreas, meaning "manly". Because of its broad adoption and the tendency throughout history for names to change through migration and pronunciation shifts, it has many variants and spellings across different cultures and regions.
Common variants include Andrews, Andre, Andru, Andreu, Andrus, and Andries. In some cultures, it can have prefixes or suffixes added to indicate familial relationships, such as MacAndrew or McAndrew in Scotland, meaning "son of Andrew", or O'Andrew in Ireland.
The surname Andrew can also be found as a component of certain compound surnames like Anderson, Andrewson or Andrews.
Some other international versions of the surname Andrew consist of Andreou, Andreev, Andrejev, Andreiev (largely in Slavic countries), D'Andrea, Andreoli, Andreotti, Andreozzi (in Italy), Andriev, Andreev (in Bulgaria), Andriyev, Andrievs, Andrejevs (in Latvia).
Notably, the spelling, pronunciation and exact formation of the surname can vary significantly depending on regional dialects, historical factors and cultural traditions.
Famous people with the name Andrew
- Edna May Andrews: Known as Dana Andrews, a famous American film actor.
- Addison Andrews: An American author, and founder and CEO of Thoughtful Media Group.
- Roy Chapman Andrews: A renowned American explorer, adventurer, and naturalist who made important discoveries through Central Asia during his explorations.
- Andrena Andrews: A British actress best known for her role in the series "Doctor Who".
- Harry Andrews: A prolific British stage and film actor known for his roles in war films.
- Don Andrews: An Australian author and political figure.
- Billy Andrews: A Canadian football player and coach.
- Julie Andrews: She is an English actress, singer, and author, best known for her roles in "Mary Poppins" and "The Sound of Music".
- Naveen Andrews: A British-American actor known for his roles in the TV series "Lost" and the movie "The English Patient".
- Benny Andrews: An American painter renowned for his social commentaries.
- Samuel Andrews: A chemist and entrepreneur, one of the founders of the Standard Oil company.
- LaVerne Andrews: One-third of the American close harmony singing group the Andrews Sisters. Sisters Patty and Maxene Andrews also achieved fame with the group.