unisex name
Drew
DROO
- Origin English
- Gender Unisex
- Syllables 1
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 98,193
the United States
#554
2025 births
Drew shortens Andrew, meaning manly, and there is a second unrelated Drew from a Germanic word for a ghost or phantom. About 11 percent of the births in our records are female. Its strongest market is Northern Ireland, at 400th.
- Drew is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 1995, when 2,460 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 3,527 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Drew 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 | 71 |
| 1890s | 38 |
| 1900s | 41 |
| 1910s | 205 |
| 1920s | 252 |
| 1930s | 318 |
| 1940s | 1,272 |
| 1950s | 3,401 |
| 1960s | 4,442 |
| 1970s | 4,219 |
| 1980s | 16,294 |
| 1990s | 21,487 |
| 2000s | 18,916 |
| 2010s | 11,687 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 5,442 |
What Drew means
Drew means manly through Andrew, from the Greek word for a man. A separate Germanic Drew means a phantom or apparition, and the two are unrelated.
Where Drew comes from
Drew is chiefly a short form of Andrew, from the Greek Andreas, built on aner, a man. A distinct Drew exists as a Norman surname from the Germanic drogo, variously read as a ghost, a phantom or a bearer, and it entered England with the Conquest as Dru or Drogo. The two are unconnected but indistinguishable in modern use. Drew Barrymore is the bearer most responsible for the name's female share.
Drew in use
Drew peaked in the United States in 1995, when 2,460 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It now ranks 400th in Northern Ireland on 4 births, then 429th in both Ireland on 9 and Scotland on 8 — an exact tie — then 554th in the United States on 940 and 1005th in England and Wales on 43, across 98,193 lifetime births in six of the seven markets we track.
How popular is Drew?
In 2025, Drew was given to 940 babies in the United States, ranking #554 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Drew 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 Drew
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Drew also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Drew over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Drew 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 Drew
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Drew — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Drew
What does the name Drew mean?
Manly, through Andrew — or a phantom, through a separate Germanic name.
Is Drew short for Andrew?
Chiefly yes, though a distinct Norman Drew exists from the Germanic drogo.
Is Drew a girls' name?
For about 11 percent of the births in our records.
Where is Drew used?
Five of our six markets, tied at 429th in both Ireland and Scotland.
How popular is the name Drew?
In 2025, Drew was given to 940 babies in the United States, ranking #554 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
How many syllables are in Drew?
Drew has 1 syllable.
When was Drew most popular?
Drew peaked in 1995, when 2,460 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
Is Drew a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Drew currently ranks #400 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.