Explore the Family Name Drew
The meaning of Drew
1. English (of Norman origin): from a Norman French personal name Dreus based on ancient Germanic Drogo, the name of one of the sons of Charlemagne (compare Gothic driugan ‘to serve as a soldier’). In Old French this name became Dreus, Drues (nominative) and Dru, Driu, Dreu (accusative) and was introduced to England by the Normans. For further information about this name, see also Montague. 2. English: from the personal name Drew, a pet form of Andrew which was confused with the same name of Old French origin (see 1 above). 3. Irish: when not an adoption of the English surname, a shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac an Druaidh or Ó Druaidh or Ó Draoi ‘son’ and ‘descendant of the druid’, from draoi ‘druid’, genitive druadh or draoi. All of these were often Anglicized as Drury. 4. Americanized form of French Dru: nickname from Old French dru ‘favorite, lover’ (originally an adjective, apparently from a Gaulish word meaning ‘strong, vigorous, lively’, but influenced by the sense of the Old High German element trūt, drūt ‘dear, beloved’). The surname of the same (Old) French origin is also found in Britain.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Drew in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Drew has seen a slight decrease in rank from 1451 in the year 2000 to 1513 in 2010, marking a 4.27% change. Despite this drop in ranking, the count of individuals bearing the surname Drew increased by 5.17%, from 22,555 in 2000 to 23,722 in 2010. This change is reflected in the proportion per 100k people, which saw a small decline of 3.83%, moving from 8.36 in 2000 to 8.04 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,451 | #1,513 | -4.27% |
| Count | 22,555 | 23,722 | 5.17% |
| Proportion per 100k | 8.36 | 8.04 | -3.83% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Drew
The data from the Decennial U.S. Census also provides insights into the ethnic identity associated with the surname Drew. In 2010, a majority of those with the surname identified as White, accounting for 75.92% of the total, down 2.57% from 2000. The second largest group identified as Black, representing 17.86% of individuals with the surname, an increase of 3.24% since 2000. Notably, there was a significant increase in individuals identifying as Hispanic, jumping 49.15% to account for 2.64% of the total in 2010. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native also saw increases, totaling 0.69% and 0.66% respectively. People identifying with two or more races accounted for 2.23%, a change of 23.89% from 2000.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 77.92% | 75.92% | -2.57% |
| Black | 17.3% | 17.86% | 3.24% |
| Hispanic | 1.77% | 2.64% | 49.15% |
| Two or More Races | 1.8% | 2.23% | 23.89% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.63% | 0.69% | 9.52% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.59% | 0.66% | 11.86% |
Drew ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Drew is British & Irish, which comprises 53.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.1%) and Eastern European (5.0%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Nigerian, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 53.5% |
| French & German | 21.1% |
| Eastern European | 5.0% |
| Other | 20.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Drew
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Drew have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 85.50% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 85.00% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 84.70% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 84.70% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 84.50% |
What Drew haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Drew is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-M467 and R-L21, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Guthrie, Lynn, Hinds, Baxter, Edwards, Lloyd, Hardy, Phillips, Porter, Davies.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Drew surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Drew have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Drew" Surname 41.3%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Drew" Surname 25.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Drew" Surname 19.4%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Drew" Surname 15.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Drew?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Drew are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition