Drew
Drew is both a surname and a given name. A son of Charlemagne had that name, and it became popular in France as Dreus and Drues. Another source was the county of Dreux, also in France, ruled by the Counts of Dreux from the 12th century onward. The name was introduced to England by the Normans, in 1066 at the time of the Conquest, and is first found there in the Domesday Book.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Drew
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Drew is both a surname and a given name. A son of Charlemagne had that name, and it became popular in France as Dreus and Drues. Another source was the county of Dreux, also in France, ruled by the Counts of Dreux from the 12th century onward. The name was introduced to England by the Normans, in 1066 at the time of the Conquest, and is first found there in the Domesday Book.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Drew
As a girl name
Drew first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1918, with 7 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2026: 426 births, good for #678 nationwide. The 2020s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 26% of all recorded Drews. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #678 among girl names with 426 births, rising sharply (+65% over the past five years). In total, more than 10K Drews have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
The earliest SSA record of Drew as a boy name dates back to 1880, when 6 babies received it. 1985 was its biggest year on record, with 2,276 newborns named Drew — #126 in the national rankings. The 1990s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 24% of all recorded Drews. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #537 among boy names with 554 births, gradually falling (-7%). In total, more than 79K Drews have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Drew
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Drew. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Drew
Phonetically similar names — useful when Drew is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Drew
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About the name Drew
Drew is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 79K births in the dataset. Drew's peak popularity came in 1985 when it ranked #126. Use the chart and map above to compare Drew's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1985 →
- Names of the 1980s →
- Names starting with "D" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.