Given name & surname · also English
Drew
“one who is wise”
Drew is used as a given name and a surname. One Welsh interpretation is “one who is wise.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Welsh interpretation is “one who is wise.”
Where it comes from
This spelling has been associated with English and Welsh naming traditions.
How it developed
In Scottish use, Drew is used as a shortened form of Andrew.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Drew through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 88,085
- 78,592 boys · 9,493 girls
- Most popular year
- 1995
- 2,460 babies
- 2025
- 940
- #553 for boys · #706 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +9%
- Steady
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 67% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 541 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 553 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 12.8% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 2,276 in 1985. It also appeared in 399 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (61). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 80,031 as a first name in 2020; 22,649 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Drew’s family of names
In English usage, Drew is a diminutive of Andrew. Drew has a related form in Dru. Drew is a short form of Andrew.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 8
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Drew
- Drew BarrymoreAmerican actress (born 1975)
- Drew WeissmanAmerican physician-scientist (born 1959)
- Drew CareyAmerican comedian (born 1958)
- Drew McIntyreScottish professional wrestlerborn 1985
- Drew SeeleyCanadian actorborn 1982
- Drew BreesAmerican football player and television analyst (born 1979)
- Drew GoddardAmerican writer and director (born 1975)
- Drew GoodenAmerican-Finnish basketball playerborn 1981
- Drew DoughtyCanadian professional ice hockey playerborn 1989
Characters named Drew: Dr. Drakken (Kim Possible).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Drew, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Chandler
“a candlemaker” · “one who makes candles”
63% boys · 37% girls
Skyler
“one who is learned; a scholar” · “a fugitive”
44% boys · 56% girls
Reilly
“an outgoing man”
46% boys · 54% girls
Kasey
“a vigilant woman” · “vigilant, wakeful”
44% boys · 56% girls
Casey
“vigilant, wakeful” · “a vigilant woman”
74% boys · 26% girls
Devine
“resembling an ox” · “of the divine”
50% boys · 50% girls
Baby
“a beloved child; a spoiled daughter” · “a beloved child; a spoiled son”
54% boys · 46% girls
Kelby
“from the waters” · “from the farm near the spring”
60% boys · 40% girls