Feminine form of Andrew, from Greek 'andreios' meaning brave or manly.
Andrea descends from the Greek root andreios, meaning “manly,” “brave,” or “virile,” from aner, “man.” That may sound paradoxical to English speakers who know Andrea chiefly as a feminine name, but its long history across Europe makes the story more complex. In Italy, Andrea has traditionally been masculine, borne by men for centuries; in English-speaking countries, it became established primarily as a feminine form related to Andrew.
This split gives Andrea one of the most intriguing cross-cultural identities of any familiar name. Its notable bearers reflect that dual tradition. In Renaissance Italy, Andrea del Verrocchio and Andrea Palladio carried the name into art and architecture, and Andrea Bocelli does so in music today.
In the English-speaking world, Andrea appears widely among writers, athletes, journalists, and performers as a women’s name. Because it belongs to the broader Andrew family, it also shares in the prestige of Saint Andrew, one of the apostles, whose name spread widely through Christian Europe and generated many local forms. Over time, Andrea has changed less in sound than in perception.
In the United States and other Anglophone countries, it became especially popular for girls in the twentieth century, often suggesting intelligence, polish, and a certain soft formality. Elsewhere, especially in Italy, hearing Andrea still leads to an entirely different assumption. That contrast makes the name culturally rich: the same letters can signal different histories depending on language and place.
Literary and artistic associations have helped it endure, but so has its balance of familiarity and grace. Andrea feels classical, international, and adaptable, a name shaped as much by geography as by etymology.