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The short answer
Andrea's primary Behind the Name entry is the Italian masculine form of Andreas (see Andrew), borne by Renaissance sculptor Andrea Verrocchio, who taught Leonardo da Vinci. A separate entry documents Andrea as a feminine form of Andrew used in English and many other languages since the 17th century, though it was not common until the 20th century. Both trace back to the Greek andreios, meaning "manly, masculine". Pronounced AN-dree-ə in English, Andrea ranked #235 for girls in the United States in 2025 — reflecting the feminine usage, not the Italian masculine one.
Meaning and etymology
Behind the Name's primary entry treats Andrea as the "Italian form of Andreas (see Andrew)", naming Renaissance sculptor Andrea Verrocchio — teacher of Leonardo da Vinci and Perugino — as a notable bearer. Looking up Andrew gives the underlying Greek root: from Ἀνδρέας (Andreas), derived from ἀνδρεῖος (andreios) meaning "manly, masculine". A separate, feminine Andrea entry describes it as the "feminine form of Andrew", used in English since the 17th century though uncommon until the 20th.
Editorial confidence: established
Linguistic roots
| Language | Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Greek | ἀνδρεῖος (andreios) | manly, masculine |
Competing or overlapping origins
- Behind the Name's primary Andrea entry is grammatically masculine (the Italian form of Andrew); a separate entry, Andrea (2), documents the feminine English/German/Spanish form used since the 17th century, which matches the exclusively girls'-name usage seen in the SSA 2025 data for this name.
Popularity
Andrea ranked #235 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, according to the Social Security Administration. This reflects the feminine form of the name (Behind the Name's Andrea (2) entry) rather than the Italian masculine form that is Behind the Name's primary entry for the spelling.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #235 | ssa-2025 |
Nicknames, variants, and related names
Nicknames: Andi, Andie, Andy, Drea, Drew
Variants: Andréa, Andrina
Related names: Andrew, Andreas
What the name feels like
Andrea has a classic, cross-cultural warmth as a girls' name in English, even though its primary listing on Behind the Name is a masculine Italian name — a reminder that the same spelling can carry opposite genders in different countries.
Style tags: cross-cultural, classic, gender-variable by country, Greek origin
Editorial interpretation: This style framing is editorial opinion. The masculine-in-Italian, feminine-in-English split is documented fact via the two separate Behind the Name entries; the 'classic warmth' description is subjective.
If you like this name
Editorial picks for readers drawn to Andrea's classic sound or its Andrew/Greek origin.
Similar by origin
- Andrew
- Andreas
- Andra
Similar by sound
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Andrea mean?
Andrea means "manly, masculine", from the Greek andreios via Andrew/Andreas.
Is Andrea a boy's name or a girl's name?
Both, depending on the language: Behind the Name's primary entry is the Italian masculine form of Andrew, but a separate entry documents Andrea as a feminine name used in English and other languages, which matches its use as a girls' name in the US, where it ranked #235 in 2025.
What are nicknames for Andrea?
Andi, Andie, Andy, Drea and Drew are the diminutives Behind the Name lists for the feminine form of Andrea.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Andrea (1) — supports etymology, history.
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Andrea (2) — supports competingOrigins, variants, pronunciation.
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Andrew — supports etymology.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
