Andrews
A patronymic surname meaning “son of Andrew,” ultimately from the Greek name meaning “manly” or “brave.”
The #218 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 2,308 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Andrews is an English patronymic surname formed from the personal name Andrew, with the plural-like -s marking “son of” or descent. The given name Andrew comes through Latin and Old French from Greek Andreas, related to andreios, meaning “manly,” “masculine,” or “brave.” In other words, the surname originally identified someone as Andrew’s son or family member.
History
The name spread widely in medieval England because Andrew was a major Christian apostolic name, and Bardsley notes its popularity in its day. Historical records show early spellings such as Anderewe and Andreweson, with later forms like Andrews and regional variants such as Andros. It remains common in English-speaking countries, especially in Britain, Ireland, and the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Bardsley remarks that even Andrews could be reduced in some places to the form Anders, showing how fluid surname spelling could be in older records.
From the historical record
“A Thurgot was an early-i2th-cent. bishop of St. Andrews. THURGIS(S (Eng. and Scand.) for the A.-Sax. Thurgisl, 0.li.Thorgisl=TaoR's Hostage [v. under Thor, and -f- O.E. O.N. glsl, a”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)