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.
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 →
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. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 426 Drews were born — ranking #678 that year. As of 2026, Drew ranks #678 for girls 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
Drew first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1880, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1985, when 2,276 Drews were born — ranking #126 that year. As of 2026, Drew ranks #537 for boys 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
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
What does the name Drew mean?
How popular is Drew in 2026?
When was Drew most popular?
In which U.S. states is Drew most popular?
Is Drew a unisex name?
What names go well with Drew?
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.