boy's name
Andy
AN-dee
- Origin English
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 114,097
the United States
#565
2025 births
Andy means manly, and the Greek root is the ordinary word for a man — so Andrew is one of the few apostles carrying a Greek name rather than a Hebrew or Aramaic one.
- Andy is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 2005, when 1,951 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 5,974 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Andy over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 528 |
| 1890s | 495 |
| 1900s | 468 |
| 1910s | 2,155 |
| 1920s | 2,828 |
| 1930s | 2,363 |
| 1940s | 3,766 |
| 1950s | 6,993 |
| 1960s | 12,271 |
| 1970s | 9,133 |
| 1980s | 8,572 |
| 1990s | 12,421 |
| 2000s | 17,999 |
| 2010s | 11,470 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 4,030 |
What Andy means
Andy means manly, or brave, carried from Andrew. The Greek aner means a man as distinct from a woman, and the derived adjective means courageous.
Where Andy comes from
Andy shortens Andrew, from the Greek Andreas, built on aner — a man — and the derived andreios, manly or courageous. The same root gives androgynous and the -ander in Alexander. Andrew is one of very few apostles with a Greek rather than a Hebrew name, which tells you something about how mixed first-century Galilee was. He is patron of Scotland, Russia, Greece and Romania, and the saltire on the Scottish flag is the cross he was said to be crucified on.
Andy in use
Andy peaked in the United States in 2005, when 1,951 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It now ranks 263rd in Ireland on 17 births — far above every other market — then 565th in the United States on 555, 676th in France on 65, 733rd in Scotland and 1308th in England and Wales on 21, across 114,097 lifetime births in six of the seven markets we track.
How popular is Andy?
In 2025, Andy was given to 555 babies in the United States, ranking #565 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Andy is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Andy
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Andy also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Andy over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Andy in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Andy
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Andy — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Andy
What does the name Andy mean?
Manly or brave — the Greek aner, a man.
Why does an apostle have a Greek name?
First-century Galilee was thoroughly mixed. Andrew and Philip both carry Greek names rather than Hebrew ones.
Is the Scottish flag connected?
Yes — the saltire is the diagonal cross Andrew was said to have been crucified on.
Where is Andy most used?
Ireland at 263rd, far above every other market we track.
How popular is the name Andy?
In 2025, Andy was given to 555 babies in the United States, ranking #565 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Andy a girl's or a boy's name?
Andy is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Andy?
Andy has 2 syllables.
When was Andy most popular?
Andy peaked in 2005, when 1,951 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
Is Andy a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Andy currently ranks #263 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.