NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Andrew

A masculine name of Greek origin meaning "manly" or "brave".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Andrew is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Andrew popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #315, with 142 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 2,676 births.

This profile covers 20,169 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 5% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 53,611 living people in the UK are called Andrew. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Andrew ranked #315 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 142 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 1996, when 2,676 boys were registered as Andrew.
  • Andrew ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #104 in 2024.
  • About 53,611 living people in the UK are estimated to have Andrew as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#315

2024

Births in 2024

142

Latest year

Peak year

1996

2,676 births

Estimated living

53,611

2026

Meaning

What does Andrew mean?

The name Andrew is derived from the Greek name Andreas, which itself is a derivation of the Greek word "andr" meaning "man" or "warrior". The name can be traced back to ancient Greece and was one of the earliest Christian names adopted due to its association with the apostle Andrew, one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ.

The name first appeared in the New Testament of the Bible, where Andrew is described as a Galilean fisherman and the brother of Simon Peter. According to the Gospel of John, Andrew was initially a disciple of John the Baptist before becoming one of the first followers of Jesus.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Andrew was Andrew the Apostle, who lived in the 1st century AD. He is celebrated as the patron saint of several countries, including Scotland, Russia, and Greece.

Another notable figure named Andrew was Andrew the Philosopher, a Byzantine scholar who lived in the 7th century AD. He is known for his works on philosophy and theology.

In the 10th century, Andrew the Blind-Seer was a renowned Russian monk and saint, revered for his clairvoyance and healing abilities.

During the Middle Ages, the name Andrew gained popularity across Europe, particularly in Scotland. One of the most famous Scottish figures with the name was Andrew of Wyntoun, a 15th-century poet and chronicler who wrote the important historical work "Orygynale Cronykil of Scotland".

In the 16th century, Andrew Melville was a prominent Scottish scholar and theologian who played a significant role in the Scottish Reformation.

As the name spread to other parts of the world, notable individuals with the name Andrew emerged in various fields. For example, Andrew Jackson, born in 1767, was the 7th President of the United States and a renowned military leader.

Andrew Carnegie, born in 1835, was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist who played a pivotal role in the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century.

Overall, the name Andrew has a rich history spanning over two millennia, with roots in ancient Greece and a strong association with the Christian faith. Its popularity has endured across various cultures and regions, producing numerous influential figures throughout history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Andrew over time

The chart below shows babies named Andrew registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Andrew, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 142 births in 2024, compared with 2,676 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Andrew
06691K2K3K199620102024

Decades

Andrew by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Andrew was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #293 783 5
2010s #180 3,259 10
2000s #85 7,926 10
1990s #39 8,201 4

Geography

Where Andrew is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Andrew. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Andrew ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #104 in 2024.

Scotland
49
Northern Ireland
9

Across the UK

Andrew in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#104 in 2024

51 years of NRS records, 32,437 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#216 in 2024

28 years of NISRA records, 2,029 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Andrew

  • Andrew Robinson

    writer; biographer; editing staff; editor; journalist

    British author and newspaper editor

    1957-

  • Andrew Graham

    military personnel

    British Army officer

    1956-

  • Andrew 'Vern' Stokes

    soldier in the British Army (born 1972)

Related

Names similar to Andrew

FAQ

Andrew: questions and answers

How popular is the name Andrew in the UK right now?

In 2024, Andrew was ranked #315 for boys in England and Wales, with 142 births registered.

When was Andrew most popular?

The peak year on record was 1996, with 2,676 babies registered as Andrew in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Andrew?

A masculine name of Greek origin meaning "manly" or "brave".

How many people are called Andrew in the UK?

A total of 20,169 babies have been registered as Andrew across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 32,437 more in Scotland and 2,029 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Andrew most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Andrew ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #104 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.