Andrea is a given name which is common worldwide, typically female but also used for males in some cultures.
Origin of the name The name derives from the Greek word ἀνήρ (anēr), genitive ἀνδρός (andrós), that refers to man as opposed to woman (whereas man in the sense of human being is ἄνθρωπος, ánthropos). The original male Greek name, Andréas, represents the hypocoristic, with endearment functions, of male Greek names composed with the andr- prefix, like Androgeos (man of the earth), Androcles (man of glory), Andronikos (man of victory).
In the year 2006, it was the third most popular name in Italy with 3.1% of newborns. It is part of the Italian male names ending in a, some others being Elia (Elias), Enea (Aeneas), Luca (Lucas), Mattia (Matthias), Nicola (Nicholas), Tobia (Tobias). In recent and past times, it has also been used on occasion as a female name in Italy and in Spain, where it is considered the legitimate feminine form of Andrés/Andreo/Andreu (Andrew). Outside of Italy, the name is generally considered a female name.
Usage In Czech, Slovak, Polish, Slovenian, Dutch, English, French, German, Hungarian, Indonesian, Scandinavian languages and Spanish, Andrea is a feminine name. Masculine forms are Andrej, Ondřej, Andrzej, Anže, Andrew, Andreas, András, Andrey, Andreo, Andrés, Anders, Andries or Andre. However, many Swiss men regardless of first language are also named Andrea, if followed by a masculine middle name to comply with Swiss naming law. In Albanian Andrea is a masculine name; its native form is Ndrea. In Romansh Andrea is also a masculine name. In Italian, Andrea is primarily a masculine name. Some men of Italian descent, from countries where Andrea is feminine, bear the name. In Bulgarian Andrea (Андреа) is used as the feminine form of "Andrei". In Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia, Andrea is a feminine name; Andreja can be used as female name, while Andrija, Andro and Andrej are masculine forms. The only exception is Istria, where Andrea is a male name. In Romania Andreea is a feminine name and it is written with an extra "e". However, the feminine variation Andrea is also used. Andrea as etymon means knitting needle in Romanian. Andrei is the masculine form. Andréia is the most common Portuguese spelling of this name, although Andréa is also used in Brazilian Portuguese. The masculine form is André. In Dutch, Andrea is used as a female name, although the variant Andrée is found in French. In Spanish, Andrea and variations spelled Andreina and Andressa are used as female variants for Andrey, Andreo, and Andrés. In Basque, Andrea and Andere exist as female names. Two etymons merge in the former: the most widespread form with a Greek root, 'man', and the Basque-Aquitanian ancient form "andere(a)", present-day "andere(a)" and "andre(a)", 'madam', 'lady' (used mainly as title, e.g. "Andramari", 'Lady/Virgin Mary'), as opposed to "jaun", 'lord'. In popular usage, it can ultimately mean 'adult woman'. In Catalan, Andrea is used as the feminine form of "Andreu". In Asturian, Andrea is the feminine form of "Andrés".
Notable people
Women Andrea Aagot (born 2000), Danish handball player Andrea Ablasser, German immunologist Andrea Abrams, American anthropologist Andrea Abreu (born 1995), Spanish writer Andrea Absolonová (1976–2004), Czech model and diver Andrea Acciaioli, Italian noblewoman Andrea Ackerman, American artist, theorist and writer Andrea Adams (1946–1995), British journalist Andrea Aldana (born 1989), Guatemalan sailor Andrea Alfaro, American New Zealand aquaculture and marine ecology academic Andrea Alfiler (born 1979), American soccer player Andrea Alföldi (born 1964), Hungarian race walker Andrea Allan (born 1946), American actress Andrea Amaya (born 2003), Salvadoran footballer Andrea Ammon (born 1958), German physician Andrea Amort, Austrian author and historian Andrea Anacan, New Zealand karateka Andrea Anders (born 1975), American actress Andrea Anderson (born 1977), American sprinter Andrea Anderson-Mason, Canadian politician Andrea Andersson-Tay (born 1988), Swedish politician Andrea Andreen (1888–1972), Swedish physician, pacifist and feminist Andrea Apolo, American medical oncologist Andrea Ar Gouilh (born 1935), French singer Andrea Arlington, American model, television personality, and life coach Andrea Armada (born 2000), Venezuelan karateka Andrea Armani, American chemical engineer Andrea Armstrong (lawyer), American lawyer and legal scholar Andrea Armstrong (born 1982), former American collegiate basketball player Andrea Arnold (born 1961), English film director and former actress Andrea Arpaci-Dusseau, American computer scientist Andrea Arsović (born 1987), Serbian sport shooter Andrea Árting (1891–1988), Faroese politician and trade union leader Andrea Ashworth, English writer and academic Andrea Ávila (born 1970), Argentine long and triple jumper Andrea Bailey (born 1972), American politician Andrea Bain, Canadian television host and journalist Andrea Baker, American actress Andrea Bakula (born 1981), Croatian table tennis player Andrea Ball, American political aide Andrea Balladares (born 1987), Chilean politician Andrea Bang, Canadian actress Andrea Barata Ribeiro, Brazilian film producer Andrea Barber (born 1976), American actress Andrea Barbieri (born 1965), Argentine television and film actress Andrea Barnet, American author Andrea Barnó (born 1980), Spanish handball player Andrea Barócsi (born 1975), Hungarian canoeist Andrea Barrett (born 1954), American novelist and short story writer Andrea Barrientos (born 1989), Bolivian senator for Cochabamba Andrea Bartha, Hungarian set and costume designer Andrea Barthwell (born 1953), American federal civil servant and Illinois political hopeful Andrea Baumert (born 1967), German high jumper Andrea Beaty, American children's author Andrea Becali (born 2004), Cuban swimmer Andrea Becerra (born 2000), Mexican archer Andrea Beck (born 1956), Canadian children's writer Andrea Bédard (born 1963), Canadian alpine skier Andrea Begley (born 1987), Irish singer Andrea Bekić (born 1965), Croatian diplomat Andrea Belag, American painter Andrea Beleska (born 1994), Macedonian handball player Andrea Bell, New Zealand architect Andréa Belliger, Swiss theologian Andréa Beltrão (born 1963), Brazilian actress and playwright Andrea Bendewald, American actress Andrea L. Berez-Kroeker, American linguist Andrea Berg (born 1966), German singer Andrea Berg (born 1981), German volleyball player Andrea Berger (born 1970), American tennis player Andrea Berlin, archaeologist Andrea Berloff (born 1974), American screenwriter Andrea Berntzen (born 1998), Norwegian actress and student Andrea Berrino (born 1994), Argentine swimmer Andrea Bertozzi, American mathematician Andrea Betzner (born 1966), German tennis player Andrea Bieger (born 1959), German gymnast Andrea Blackett (born 1976), Barbadian hurdler Andrea Blackwell (born 1962), Canadian basketball player Andrea Blair, New Zealand geothermal consultant Andrea Blanch, American photographer Andrea Blanco-Redondo, Spanish photonics engineer Andrea Blas (born 1992), Spanish water polo player Andrea Bleicher, Swiss journalist Andrea Bliss (born 1980), Jamaican athlete Andrea Blum, American artist Andrea Boardman (born 1967), English television presenter Andrea Bocskor (born 1978), Hungarian politician Andrea Bogorová (born 2000), Slovak footballer Andrea Böhm (born 1961), German journalist and author Andrea Bölk (born 1968), German handball player Andrea Bolley, Canadian painter Andrea Boltz (born 1969), Mexican rower Andrea Bonilla (born 1978), Bolivian politician Andrea Bonilla (runner) (born 1986), Ecuadorian long-distance runner Andrea Booher, American FEMA photographer Andrea Boquete (born 1990), Argentine basketball player Andrea Bordeaux (born 1987), American actress and model Andrea Borrell (born 1963), Cuban basketball player Andrea Bosman (born 1979), Dutch cyclist Andrea Botero Coy (born 1988), Colombian cyclist Andrea Botez (born 2002), Romanian-Canadian chess player Andrea Bottner, American lawyer Andrea Bouma (born 1999), Dutch sprinter Andrea Bowen (born 1990), American actress Andrea Bowers, American visual artist Andrea Bowman, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines politician and diplomat Andrea Brachfeld, American jazz flutist Andrea Brady (born 1974), American poet and lecturer Andrea Bræin Hovig (born 1973), Norwegian actress Andrea Bramhall (born 1979), British writer Andrea Brand (born 1959), molecular biologist Andrea Brändli (born 1997), Swiss ice hockey player Andrea Bréard, German historian of mathematics Andrea Breder (born 1964), German high jumper Andrea Marie Breiling, contemporary painter Andrea Breth (born 1952), German theatre and opera director Andrea Brewster (born 1982), Irish sailor Andrea Brillantes (born 2003), Filipina actress Andréa Maria Britto (born 1973), Brazilian shot putter Andrea Britton, British singer Andrea van de Broeke, Dutch cricketer Andrea Bronfman (1945–2006), American philanthropist Andrea Brooks (born 1989), Canadian actress Andrea Barnwell Brownlee, American art curator Andrea Bruce (born 1955), Jamaican high jumper Andrea Brühlmann (born 1984), Swiss sport shooter Andrea Brunsendorf, German-born gardener, horticulturalist and landscaper Andrea Brymer, Scottish television presenter Andrea Buchanan (1955–1982), American tennis player Andrea Budošová (born 1980), Slovak footballer Andrea Bunjes (born 1976), German hammer thrower Andrea Burk (born 1982), Canadian rugby footballer Andréa Burns (born 1971), American actress Andrea Bussmann, Canadian film director Andrea Büttner (born 1972), German artist Andrea Byrne, British journalist Andrea Cabral (born 1959), American lawyer Andrea Cagan, American writer, biographer and ghostwriter Andrea Calderwood, British film and television producer Andrea Callard, American painter Andrea Campbell (born 1982), American politician Andrea Canning (born 1972), Canadian-American broadcast journalist Andrea Cardona (born 1982), Guatemalan mountaineer Andrea Carlson (chef), Canadian chef and restaurateur Andrea Carlson, American painter Andrea Carroll (born 1946), American singer Andrea Carroll (soprano), American soprano Andrea Casasnovas (born 1987), Spanish alpine skier Andrea Catherwood (born 1967), Northern Irish television presenter and journalist Andrea Catsimatidis (born 1990), American politician Andrea Cedrón (born 1993), Peruvian swimmer Andrea Černá (born 1977), Czech actress Andrea Češková (born 1971), Czech MEP Andrea Chandler, American farmer, writer and sailor Andrea Chapela, Mexican writer Andrea Chaplin (born 1964), Australian fencer Andrea Chen (born 1987), Taiwanese actress and model Andrea Cheng (1957–2015), Hungarian-American author Andrea Chiuchich (born 1969), Argentine fencer Andrea Chung (born 1978), American artist Andrea Clark, African-American photographer Andrea Clausen (politician), British-born Falkland Islands politician Andrea Clausen (born 1959), German actress Andrea Clearfield, American composer Andrea Cochran, American landscape architect Andrea Cole, Canadian Paralympic swimmer Andrea Congreaves (born 1970), English basketball player Andrea Conte (born 1941), First Lady of Tennessee (2003–2011) A. J. Cook (born 1978), Canadian actress Andrea Coore (born 1969), English long jumper Andrea Coote (born 1951), Australian parliamentarian Andrea Cornwall, English professor of anthropology and development Andrea Corr (born 1974), Irish musician Andrea Corral (born 2008), Spanish rhythmic gymnast Andrea Coss (born 1960), Australian rower Andrea Čović (born 1993), Croatian handball player Andrea Cunningham, American businessperson Andrea Czanik (born 1979), Slovak handball player Andréa Dacourt (born 2005), French association footballer