Dru
Masculine · “manly”
Dru is given to both — 2,788 boys and 1,866 girls since 1880. See Dru as a girl nameSee other names given to both
Dru is Drew shortened, and Drew is Andrew — manly, in Greek, from aner, a man.
How old is the name Dru?
Dru first appears in US birth records in 1950 — 75 years ago. The typical Dru alive today was born around 1999, making them about 26 years old. About 2,600 people named Dru are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Dru most popular?
Dru peaked in 1999, reaching #1249 nationally. Today it ranks #2363, 1,114 places below that high. See the whole 1999 chart.
Where it comes from
From aner to Dru
The story of Dru
Andrew was the first disciple called and is the patron of Scotland, Russia and Greece. Drew is the English clipping and Dru a modern spelling of it. A separate Norman Dru gave the surname Drury. Dru appears in American records for both sexes in current use.
Meaning
manly, of a man
Through Drew and Andrew, from the Greek andreios, 'manly', from aner, andros, 'man'. The same root gives android and misandry. A separate Norman Dru from a Germanic element also exists. The Greek is documented.
How the name formed
- aner
- Andreas
- Drew
- Dru
Related forms: Drew · Andrew · Dru
Pronouncing Dru
DROO
One syllable. Dru and Drew are homophones; only the spelling differs.
Nicknames for Dru
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1950
- Most boys named
- 199999 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #1249reached in 1999
- Change vs 2023
- −23.7%58 in 2025, from 76
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Dru in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Drew in English — spelling variant
- Andrew in English — related form
- Dru in French — related form
Strongest US states over the last decade: Texas, California, Louisiana.
Drus among us
people named Dru are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 29,450 born in 2025 was named Dru
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
The Antonino test
Every popular name lives one long story — a climb, a peak, a slow settling back. Dru's later chapters haven't been written yet, so we borrowed them: Antonino climbed just as high around 1972, and its whole arc is on record. Line the two peaks up, and Antonino's path sketches the road Dru is walking now.
Dru sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Dru is headed
Dru should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind.
Medium confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Dru beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Dru in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- That android shares the root is a genuinely good connection.
- Andrew is available as a full formal version.
- One syllable, clean, and never mispronounced.
- Drew is the standard spelling.
- It is used for both sexes in America.
- It is very short and can be swallowed by a long surname.
Nobody names a baby alone.
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What they receive
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Dru
Masculine · #2363 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Drus are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 2,600 people named Dru are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Dru in 2025?
- Dru ranks #2363 among US boy names in 2025, with 58 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Dru?
- About 1 in every 29,450 US boys born in 2025 was named Dru — 58 in all.
- Will my child share the name Dru with classmates?
- Dru will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Dru
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Javi#2363 · Zacchaeus#2363 · Pete#2363 · Herman#2363 · Clint#2363 · Lipa#2363 · Reuven#2363 · Kyngston#2363
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Dru? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Dru and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
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Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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