NameCensus.

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.

78% boys
22% girls
Boys3,303 (77.6%)Girls953 (22.4%)

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

BoysGirls
069137206274199620102024

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.

Scotland
8
Northern Ireland
4

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

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.