ANDREWS
Introduction
The surname Andrews is a widely encountered family name in the British Isles and other English‑speaking regions. It is a patronymic surname, indicating descent from an ancestor bearing the personal name Andrew.
Etymology and Origin
Deriving from the English given name Andrew, the surname ultimately traces its roots to the Greek personal name Andreas, which conveys the meaning “man” or “warrior”. The Greek term was introduced to England after the Norman Conquest and appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as “Andreas”. Thus, Andrews signifies “son of Andrew”, a typical formation of a patronymic surname in medieval England.
Historical Development
The earliest documented spelling of the name occurs in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275, where it is recorded as “Moricius Andrewys”. Throughout the late thirteenth and fourteenth centuries the name spread across England and into Scotland, where the cult of St Andrew, patron saint of Scotland, further popularised the given name. Church registers from the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries record baptisms and marriages of individuals bearing the surname, for example the christening of David, son of Edward Andrews, in 1572 at St Giles, Cripplegate, and the marriage of James Andrewes to Euphemia Masterton in Edinburgh in 1798.
Variations and Distribution
Spelling variants observed in historical documents include Andros, Androes, Andrewes and Androwes. The surname remained common throughout the medieval period and continued to be borne by emigrants to the New World, such as Samuell Andrews, who embarked from London for New England in 1635.
Heraldic Emblem
A coat of arms associated with the Andrews family is described as a gold field upon a blue pile bearing a dove proper in base, flanked by a mullet of the second pierced of the field. The crest features a dove on a green mount holding an olive leaf, its breast charged with a red escallop.
Typical given names associated with the Andrews surname
Male
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Helen
- Karen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Andrew
- Andras
- Andrae
- Anders
- Andrewes
- Anderews
- Anderew
- Andraws
- Andre
- Andrea
- Andreas
- Andred
- Andree
- Andrei
- Andreis
- Andren
- Andrens
- Andreos
- Andres
- Andress
- Andreu
- Andreus
- Andrewsky
- Andrewson
- Andrey
- Andrez
- Andrie
- Andries
- Andriese
- Andriesz
- Andrieu
- Andris
- Andro
- Andros
- Androu
- Androus
- Andru
- Andrus
- Andrws
- Andrys
- Andrawes
- Andrawos
- Andreae
- Andreias
- Andrejs
- Andron
- Andruk
- Andrup
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Andrews in...
Braille
⠁⠝⠙⠗⠑⠺⠎
Morse
.--.-...-...--...
Semaphore
Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Andrews are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Chocolate Digestive.
There are approximately 57,105 people named Andrews in the UK. That makes it the 115th most common surname in Britain. Around 877 in a million people in Britain are named Andrews.
Surname type: From name of parent
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Andrews
- Julie Andrews - Actress, singer, author, theatre director, and dancer
- Naveen Andrews - Actor
- Thomas Andrews - Irish businessman and shipbuilder (1873 to 1912)
- Mark Andrews - Welsh professional wrestler
- Anthony Andrews - Actor
- Harry Andrews - Film actor (1911 to 1989)
- Dean Andrews - Actor
- Paul Andrews - Heavy metal singer
- Erin Andrews - American sportscaster and television personality
- Robert Andrews - Actor (1895 to 1976)
- Chris Andrews - Singer-songwriter
- Sybil Andrews - Printmaker (1898 to 1992)
- Barry Andrews - Vocalist
- Charles Freer Andrews - Christian missionary in India, close friend of Mahatma Gandhi (1871 to 1940)
- Michael Andrews - Artist (1928 to 1995)
- Bob Andrews - Musician
- Dave Andrews - Film music composer
- Harvey Andrews - Singer, songwriter, and poet
- Simon Andrews - Motorcycle racer (1984 to 2014)
- Ian Andrews - Football player
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.