NameCensus.

UK surname

Andrew

A patronymic surname derived from the Greek name Andreas, meaning "manly" or "masculine."

In the 1881 census there were 9,483 people recorded with the Andrew surname, ranking it #448 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 9,932, ranked #647, down from #448 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Illogan, London parishes and Glasgow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Carrick South, South Holland and Powys.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Andrew is 10,639 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 4.7%.

1881 census count

9,483

Ranked #448

Modern count

9,932

2016, ranked #647

Peak year

1891

10,639 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Andrew had 9,483 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #448 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 9,932 in 2016, ranked #647.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 10,639 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Andrew surname distribution map

The map shows where the Andrew surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Andrew surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Andrew over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 9,057 #294
1861 historical 9,684 #272
1881 historical 9,483 #448
1891 historical 10,639 #413
1901 historical 10,536 #499
1911 historical 9,009 #545
1997 modern 9,803 #636
1998 modern 10,053 #640
1999 modern 10,073 #643
2000 modern 9,990 #648
2001 modern 9,777 #649
2002 modern 9,924 #655
2003 modern 9,699 #656
2004 modern 9,691 #655
2005 modern 9,678 #647
2006 modern 9,690 #646
2007 modern 9,690 #650
2008 modern 9,797 #649
2009 modern 9,999 #651
2010 modern 10,147 #652
2011 modern 9,988 #654
2012 modern 9,798 #652
2013 modern 9,978 #653
2014 modern 10,079 #652
2015 modern 9,949 #651
2016 modern 9,932 #647

Geography

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Where Andrews are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Illogan, London parishes, Glasgow, Paisley Abbey and Stockport. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Carrick South, South Holland, Powys, Cornwall and Torridge. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Illogan Cornwall
2 London parishes London 3
3 Glasgow Lanark
4 Paisley Abbey Renfrew
5 Stockport Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Carrick South South Ayrshire
2 South Holland 009 South Holland
3 Powys 006 Powys
4 Cornwall 056 Cornwall
5 Torridge 009 Torridge

Forenames

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First names often paired with Andrew

These lists show first names that appear often with the Andrew surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Andrew

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Andrew, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Andrew surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Andrew household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Andrew is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Andrew is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Andrew falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Andrew is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Andrew, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Andrew

The surname Andrew originated in Scotland in the 12th century. It is derived from the Greek personal name Andreas, which means "manly" or "brave". The name was introduced to the British Isles by the Normans after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

In Scotland, the name Andrew was often Anglicized from the Gaelic form "Gilleandrais" or "Gillandres". It was also spelled as "Andree", "Andreu", and "Androw" in early records. The earliest known bearer of the surname was Radulphus filius Andree, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166.

The name Andrew is found in several medieval manuscripts, including the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Andreas". It was also recorded in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which listed those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname Andrew is Sir Andrew de Moray, a Scottish knight who fought alongside William Wallace in the Wars of Scottish Independence in the late 13th century. Another notable bearer was Sir Andrew Ker of Cessford, who was appointed Warden of the Middle Marches in Scotland in 1526.

In the 16th century, the name was particularly prominent in the Scottish Borders region, where it was associated with several notable families, such as the Andrews of Pitcairlie and the Andrews of Murieston. The name was also found in other parts of Scotland, including the Highlands and Islands.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname Andrew was borne by several prominent figures in Scottish history, including Sir Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun (1653-1716), a Scottish patriot and writer, and Andrew Michael Ramsay (1686-1743), a Scottish philosopher and writer.

Other notable bearers of the surname Andrew include John Andrew Doyle (1844-1907), an Irish writer and humorist, and Sir Archibald Edward Andrew (1835-1917), a British naval officer and explorer who served as the second Governor of the Straits Settlements (now part of Malaysia).

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Andrew families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Andrew surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 1,907 Andrews recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.74x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,907 1.74x
Cornwall 1,012 9.66x
Yorkshire 983 1.07x
Lanarkshire 571 1.91x
Lincolnshire 486 3.28x
Cheshire 473 2.31x
Ayrshire 429 6.19x
Middlesex 387 0.42x
Renfrewshire 321 4.47x
Devon 284 1.47x
Surrey 195 0.43x
Derbyshire 146 1.01x
Aberdeenshire 142 1.66x
Northamptonshire 139 1.60x
Banffshire 127 6.61x
Montgomeryshire 116 5.47x
Midlothian 110 0.89x
Angus 109 1.27x
Kent 94 0.30x
Durham 93 0.34x
Glamorgan 78 0.48x
Argyllshire 65 2.52x
Hertfordshire 65 1.02x
Essex 59 0.32x
Hampshire 59 0.31x
Dunbartonshire 58 2.33x
Sussex 58 0.37x
Caithness 54 4.26x
Warwickshire 53 0.23x
Nottinghamshire 52 0.42x
Denbighshire 46 1.32x
Cambridgeshire 45 0.77x
Rutland 39 5.74x
Stirlingshire 38 1.11x
Leicestershire 37 0.36x
Monmouthshire 33 0.49x
Kincardineshire 32 2.84x
Staffordshire 32 0.10x
Cumberland 30 0.38x
Somerset 25 0.17x
Worcestershire 24 0.20x
Buckinghamshire 23 0.41x
Dorset 23 0.38x
Northumberland 23 0.17x
Shropshire 23 0.29x
Cardiganshire 22 0.97x
Shetland 21 2.22x
Suffolk 21 0.19x
Fife 20 0.37x
Huntingdonshire 20 1.09x
Gloucestershire 19 0.10x
Merionethshire 18 1.06x
Norfolk 17 0.12x
Wiltshire 17 0.21x
Wigtownshire 14 1.14x
Berkshire 11 0.16x
Herefordshire 11 0.29x
Perthshire 11 0.26x
Bedfordshire 10 0.21x
Isle of Man 8 0.47x
Brecknockshire 6 0.32x
Channel Islands 6 0.22x
West Lothian 6 0.43x
Royal Navy 5 0.45x
East Lothian 4 0.33x
Buteshire 3 0.53x
Caernarfonshire 3 0.08x
Pembrokeshire 3 0.10x
Westmorland 3 0.15x
Flintshire 2 0.08x
Kirkcudbrightshire 2 0.15x
Oxfordshire 2 0.04x
Selkirkshire 2 0.24x
Sutherland 2 0.28x
Anglesey 1 0.06x
Inverness-shire 1 0.04x
Morayshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ashton Under Lyne in Lancashire leads with 530 Andrews recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.08x.

Place Total Index
Ashton Under Lyne 530 22.08x
Oldham 374 10.55x
Barony 143 1.89x
Glasgow 113 2.13x
Illogan 111 40.00x
St Stithians 107 185.22x
Govan 106 1.43x
Dukinfield 101 10.70x
Gwennap 78 39.45x
Holy Trinity 74 3.35x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 71 1.42x
Monkton Prestwick 68 100.85x
Falmouth 66 17.79x
Lambeth 63 0.78x
Stayley 61 26.12x
Dundonald 60 23.49x
Saddleworth 59 8.34x
Kilmarnock 58 7.03x
New Monkland 55 6.21x
Openshaw 54 10.50x
Newton In Ashton Under 53 26.29x
Kensington London 49 0.95x
St Just In Roseland 47 102.42x
Chadderton 46 8.57x
Gorton 45 4.36x
Paisley High Church 45 7.88x
Chorlton On Medlock 44 2.52x
St Marylebone London 44 0.89x
Abbey 43 3.93x
St Gluvias 41 69.86x
Gamrie 40 18.66x
Tonge 40 17.36x
Spalding 38 12.94x
New Kilpatrick 37 15.63x
Howden 36 57.76x
Middleton In Oldham 36 10.93x
Failsworth 35 13.93x
Manchester 35 0.71x
Maybole 35 16.59x
Heaton Norris 34 5.44x
Sheffield 34 1.16x
Chelsea London 33 1.18x
Kenwyn 33 12.04x
Old Monkland 33 2.78x
Worsley 33 4.87x
Maryhill 32 5.46x
Neilston 32 8.89x
Newton 32 3.78x
Breage 31 32.40x
Brighton 31 0.98x
Hyde 31 5.14x
Islington London 31 0.35x
Manafon 31 155.78x
Wendron 31 21.30x
Madron Penzance 29 7.61x
Hulme 28 1.22x
Lofthouse 28 20.44x
Royton 27 8.04x
Sculcoates 27 1.86x
St Austell 27 7.54x
St Pancras London 27 0.36x
Bourn 26 21.75x
Camborne 26 6.02x
Leeds 26 0.50x
Llansamlet Higher 26 21.62x
Woolfardisworthy 26 93.12x
Hemingbrough 25 137.89x
Paisley Middle Church 25 5.99x
Birkenhead 24 1.47x
Forfar 24 5.17x
Glossop Dale 24 3.54x
Ketton 24 67.87x
Montrose 24 4.62x
Peterborough 24 3.81x
Toxteth Park 24 0.65x
West Greenock 24 1.86x
Ardwick 23 2.32x
Birmingham 23 0.30x
East Putford 23 461.85x
Hammersmith London 23 1.01x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Andrew surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 562
Elizabeth 304
Sarah 303
Jane 161
Ann 149
Eliza 117
Hannah 114
Alice 103
Annie 103
Ellen 100
Emma 97
Martha 81
Emily 79
Margaret 65
Edith 46
Charlotte 43
Ada 40
Catherine 39
Harriet 38
Maria 38
Susan 36
Fanny 33
Louisa 33
Florence 30
Caroline 29
Lucy 29
Amelia 28
Esther 27
Clara 26
Agnes 23
Kate 23
Betty 22
Grace 21
Anne 19
Isabella 19
Rebecca 18
Amy 17
Bessie 17
Elizth. 17
Julia 17
Frances 16
Bertha 15
Ethel 15
Harriett 15
Betsy 14
Ruth 14
Eleanor 13
Laura 13
Matilda 13
Minnie 13

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Andrew surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 553
William 449
James 266
George 217
Thomas 215
Joseph 134
Charles 103
Henry 96
Samuel 89
Robert 87
Edward 81
Richard 69
Alfred 63
Arthur 59
Frederick 46
Walter 45
Albert 38
Harry 37
David 34
Herbert 29
Edwin 28
Ernest 25
Frank 25
Fred 23
Wm. 21
Benjamin 20
Francis 17
Joshua 16
Jonathan 15
Nicholas 15
Thos. 15
Peter 13
Tom 12
Mark 11
Matthew 11
Stephen 11
Bennett 10
Evan 10
Geo. 10
Percy 10
Abraham 9
Andrew 9
Isaac 9
Philip 9
Alexander 8
Fredrick 8
Jonah 8
Ralph 8
Saml. 8
Hugh 6

FAQ

Andrew surname: questions and answers

How common was the Andrew surname in 1881?

In 1881, 9,483 people were recorded with the Andrew surname. That placed it at #448 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Andrew surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 9,932 in 2016. That gives Andrew a modern rank of #647.

What does the Andrew surname mean?

A patronymic surname derived from the Greek name Andreas, meaning "manly" or "masculine."

What does the Andrew map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Andrew bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.