Variant of Drew, from Old French dru meaning 'sturdy, beloved,' used as a unisex name.
Drue is a rare and quietly striking variant of Drew, itself a shortened form of Andrew. The name Andrew descends from the Greek Andreas, rooted in aner or andros, meaning 'man' or 'manly,' and carries the patronage of Saint Andrew, the apostle and patron saint of Scotland, Greece, and Russia. The Drew form entered English through medieval usage, when longer names were routinely compressed into more practical daily forms.
The distinctive Drue spelling sets it apart from the far more common Drew, giving it an antique elegance reminiscent of names found in colonial American records or English country house novels. It has the look of a name that was carefully preserved in a particular family line — passed quietly from generation to generation before resurfacing as something fresh. There is a very small tradition of the name in American literary and theatrical circles, including Drue Heinz, the American-born philanthropist and patron of the arts who became a significant figure in British literary life, supporting writers and presiding over the Hawthornden Prize.
As a given name today, Drue occupies an interesting position: it reads as both vintage and contemporary, with its spare four letters and soft vowel sounds suggesting both gravitas and gentleness. It works for any gender, which adds to its modern appeal, and its rarity ensures that anyone who wears it will likely never share it with a classmate.