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Unisex name · Greek

Drew

Name meaning, origin and popularity

: manly, brave

Drew is a gender-neutral name that comes from Greek and means "manly, brave". It is used in English.

Meaning
Manly, brave
Origin
Greek
Gender
Unisex
US rank
#706 in 2025

Meaning and origin of Drew

As a gender-neutral name, Drew comes from Greek and means "manly, brave". It is used in English.

Drew is also a surname: the 1,544th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 22,649 people. See the most common last names.

Its meaning puts Drew on our names that mean strong list.

Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names

Drew on Nomezo lists

What our editors wrote about Drew on 1 list.

How popular is Drew?

In 2025, 399 girls and 541 boys in the US were named Drew.

As a girl’s name

US rank in 2025
#706
399 babies, 248 per million girls
Best rank
#615 in 1999
Most babies: 404 in 2024
Babies since 1918
At least 9,493
Years with under 5 are not listed
1880s1900s1920s1940s1960s1980s2000s2020s
Babies per million US girls, by decade (the 2020s so far, to 2025). Highest in the 2020s, at 217 per million.
Babies named Drew per million US girls, by decade; highest in the 2020s
1880s0 per million
1890s0 per million
1900s0 per million
1910s1 per million
1920s1 per million
1930s1 per million
1940s3 per million
1950s6 per million
1960s3 per million
1970s3 per million
1980s41 per million
1990s120 per million
2000s119 per million
2010s115 per million
2020s217 per million
US rank by year
Year2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Rank#1,166#1,192#1,280#1,263#942#819#846#761#696#706

As a boy’s name

US rank in 2025
#553
541 babies, 317 per million boys
Best rank
#126 in 1985
2,276 babies that year
Babies since 1880
At least 78,592
Years with under 5 are not listed
1880s1900s1920s1940s1960s1980s2000s2020s
Babies per million US boys, by decade (the 2020s so far, to 2025). Highest in the 1990s, at 993 per million.
Babies named Drew per million US boys, by decade; highest in the 1990s
1880s65 per million
1890s33 per million
1900s30 per million
1910s30 per million
1920s22 per million
1930s29 per million
1940s82 per million
1950s162 per million
1960s228 per million
1970s252 per million
1980s845 per million
1990s993 per million
2000s837 per million
2010s515 per million
2020s321 per million
US rank by year
Year2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Rank#399#454#461#518#531#509#521#539#542#553

Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.

Other forms of Drew

The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.

  • AindreaManly, brave (Greek, boy)
  • AindriúManly, brave (Greek, boy)
  • AnderManly, brave (Greek, boy)
  • AndersManly, brave (Greek, boy)
  • AndréManly, brave (Greek, boy)
  • AndreaManly, brave (Greek, girl)
  • AndreasManly, brave (Greek, boy)
  • AndreiManly, brave (Greek, boy)
  • AndrésManly, brave (Greek, boy)
  • AndrewManly, brave (Greek, boy)
  • AndrianaManly, brave (Greek, girl)
  • AndrzejManly, brave (Greek, boy)

Names spelled like Drew

One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.

  • DerekRuler of the people (Germanic, boy)
  • DevGod, divine (Sanskrit, boy)
  • DewiBeloved one (Hebrew, boy)
  • DoresSorrows (Latin, girl)
  • DrorFreedom, sparrow (Hebrew, boy)

Names with a similar meaning

  • AmeliaPossibly vigorous, brave (Germanic, girl)
  • LeonardoBrave lion (Germanic, boy)
  • RicardaBrave ruler (Germanic, girl)
  • BahadurBrave, valiant (Turkic, boy)
  • BernadetteBrave bear (Germanic, girl)
  • BernardBrave bear (Germanic, boy)
  • BernardoBrave bear (Germanic, boy)
  • GerardBrave spear (Germanic, boy)
  • GerhardBrave spear (Germanic, boy)
  • RichardBrave ruler (Germanic, boy)
  • FernandaBrave journey (Germanic, girl)
  • FernandoBrave journey (Germanic, boy)
  • LennartBrave lion (Germanic, boy)
  • LeonardBrave lion (Germanic, boy)
  • RicardoBrave ruler (Germanic, boy)

Middle names for Drew

Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.

  • AdelineNoble one (Germanic, girl)
  • AsherHappy, blessed (Hebrew, boy)
  • ChristopherBearer of Christ (Greek, boy)
  • ElliottMy God is Yahweh (Hebrew, unisex)
  • LeanderLion man (Greek, boy)
  • LelandFallow land (Old English, boy)
  • MercyCompassion, forgiveness (Latin, girl)
  • TobiasGod is good (Hebrew, boy)

More names from Greek

  • AlexanderDefender of men (Greek, boy)
  • AlexandraDefender of men (Greek, girl)
  • LucasMan from Lucania (Greek, boy)
  • ChristianFollower of Christ (Greek, boy)
  • ElenaForm of Helen, probably from Greek torch (Greek, girl)
  • IrenePeace, tranquility (Greek, girl)
  • IrisA rainbow (Greek, girl)
  • LeonA lion (Greek, boy)
  • SofiaWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
  • SophieWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
  • ZoeLife, living (Greek, girl)
  • AnastasiaResurrection, rising again (Greek, girl)
  • ChristinaFollower of Christ (Greek, girl)
  • HectorHolding fast (Greek, boy)
  • NicoleVictory of the people (Greek, girl)
  • PetraRock, stone (Greek, girl)
  • RitaA pearl (Greek, girl)
  • TheoGift of God (Greek, boy)

Drew: common questions

What does the name Drew mean?

Drew comes from Greek and means "manly, brave".

Is Drew a boy or girl name?

Drew is used for both boys and girls. In 2025, 399 girls and 541 boys in the US were named Drew, according to Social Security Administration data.

Where does the name Drew come from?

Drew comes from Greek and means "manly, brave". Today it is used in English.

How popular is the name Drew?

Drew ranked #706 in the US in 2025, with 399 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

What are other forms of Drew?

Forms of Drew with the same meaning and origin include Aindrea (Scottish), Aindriú (Irish), Ander (French), Anders (Scandinavian) and André (French).

What middle names go with Drew?

Middle names that flow well with Drew include Adeline, Asher, Christopher, Elliott and Leander. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.