UK name, mostly boys
Drew
Of English origin, Drew means "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.
Also recorded as a girls' name in the UK, with 953 girls.
Drew is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Drew popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #945, with 33 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2001, with 225 births.
This profile covers 3,303 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 15% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 4,294 living people in the UK are called Drew. 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
- • Drew ranked #945 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 33 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2001, when 225 boys were registered as Drew.
- • Drew ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #339 in 2024.
- • Drew is also recorded for girls, but the boys side is the larger UK variant in these records.
- • About 4,294 living people in the UK are estimated to have Drew as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 77.6% of Drew registrations are for boys.
Latest rank (E&W)
#945
2024
Births in 2024
33
Latest year
Peak year
2001
225 births
Estimated living
4,294
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Drew
In England and Wales birth records, Drew has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 77.6% of registrations are for boys and 22.4% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Drew registered for boys
- Ranked #945 in 2024
- 33 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 2001 (225 births)
Drew registered for girls
- Ranked #2,253 in 2024
- 12 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 1999 (61 births)
Meaning
What does Drew mean?
The name Drew has its origins in the Old English language and can be traced back to the 8th century AD. It is derived from the Old English word "dreu," which means "servant" or "man." The name is believed to have been particularly popular in Anglo-Saxon England.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Drew can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England conducted in 1086 under the orders of William the Conqueror. The name is listed as a personal name among the landowners and tenants of the time.
In the Middle Ages, the name Drew was often associated with individuals from the lower social classes, as it reflected their status as servants or workers. However, over time, the name gained wider acceptance and was adopted by families from various backgrounds.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Drew. One of the earliest known figures was Drew Noyes (1609-1689), an English Puritan minister who emigrated to Massachusetts and became a prominent figure in the early colonial era of New England.
Another notable Drew was Drew Pearson (1897-1969), an American journalist and author who was known for his influential daily newspaper column, "Washington Merry-Go-Round," which provided insider information and gossip from the political scene in Washington, D.C.
In the world of sports, Drew Brees (born 1979) is a former professional American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons, primarily with the New Orleans Saints. He is considered one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history and led the Saints to their first Super Bowl victory in 2010.
In literature, Drew Gilpin Faust (born 1947) is an American historian and the former president of Harvard University. She is known for her groundbreaking work on the American Civil War and its impact on society, particularly her book "This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War."
Finally, Drew Barrymore (born 1975) is an American actress, producer, director, and author who has been in the entertainment industry since childhood. She is best known for her roles in films such as "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," "Charlie's Angels," and "Scream."
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Drew over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Drew in England and Wales, 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 Drew, the clearest high point is 2001. The latest England and Wales figure is 33 births in 2024, compared with 225 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Drew by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Drew 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 | #862 | 185 | 5 |
| 2010s | #551 | 728 | 10 |
| 2000s | #224 | 1,788 | 10 |
| 1990s | #213 | 602 | 4 |
Geography
Where Drew is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Drew. 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.
Drew ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #339 in 2024.
Across the UK
Drew in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#404 in 2024
51 years of NRS records, 921 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#339 in 2024
24 years of NISRA records, 114 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Drew
-
Drew Parker
professional wrestler
British professional wrestler
1997-
-
Drew Spence
association football player
English footballer
1992-
-
Drew Sherman
association football coach; association football player
Welsh football manager (born 1987)
1987-
-
Drew Talbot
association football player
British footballer (born 1986)
1986-
-
Drew Locke
rugby union player
rugby player
1986-
-
Drew Harvey
sport shooter
British sports shooter
1978-
-
Drew Pearce
screenwriter; singer; musician; guitarist; film producer; film director
British writer and director
1975-
-
Drew Parsons
cricketer
Scottish cricketer (born 1975)
1975-
Related
Names similar to Drew
- Daniel 120,900
- Dylan 60,836
- David 37,852
- Dominic 20,480
- Declan 11,657
- Dexter 11,627
- Danny 8,434
- Dean 5,329
- Dillon 4,113
- Douglas 3,773
- Dominik 3,494
- Damian 3,486
FAQ
Drew: questions and answers
How popular is the name Drew in the UK right now?
In 2024, Drew was ranked #945 for boys in England and Wales, with 33 births registered.
When was Drew most popular?
The peak year on record was 2001, with 225 babies registered as Drew in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Drew?
Of English origin, Drew means "manly" or "brave".
How many people are called Drew in the UK?
A total of 3,303 babies have been registered as Drew across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 921 more in Scotland and 114 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Drew most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Drew ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #339 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.