2000
#206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129,320
First available Census row
Per 100,000 47.94
Common Last name
Andrews
A patronymic surname meaning "son of Andrew," derived from the Greek name Andreas, meaning "manly" or "masculine."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 148,163 Americans carry the last name Andrews. That puts it at #225 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 43.23 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,313 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Andrews surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Andrews with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
148K
1 in 2,313
Census rank
#225
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
43.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
129K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 129,205 bearers of the surname Andrews in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 43.23 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 225th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Andrews, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.8%. The next largest groups are Black (21.2%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Andrews
The surname ANDREWS is of English origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is a patronymic surname derived from the personal name Andrew, which itself comes from the Greek name Andreas, meaning "manly" or "brave".
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname ANDREWS is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Andrev". This suggests that the name was already in use in England by the time of the Norman Conquest in the 11th century.
The ANDREWS surname is believed to have originated in the counties of Northamptonshire and Lincolnshire in the East Midlands region of England. Over time, different spellings of the name emerged, such as Andreu, Androw, and Andrewes, before the modern spelling of ANDREWS became more standardized.
In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the name ANDREWS was Robert Andrews, a scholar and theologian who served as the Chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1235 to 1237.
During the 16th century, one of the most famous individuals with the surname ANDREWS was Lancelot Andrews (1555-1626), an English bishop and scholar who was known for his sermons and religious writings. He served as the Bishop of Winchester from 1618 until his death.
Another notable figure from this period was Thomas Andrews (1573-1659), a renowned English clergyman and scholar who served as the Regius Professor of Theology at the University of Oxford.
In the 18th century, a prominent figure with the name ANDREWS was John Andrews (1736-1809), an English author and historian who wrote extensively about the history of Great Britain.
The 19th century saw the birth of William Andrews (1835-1914), an English historian and antiquarian who made significant contributions to the study of local history and folklore in England.
Throughout its history, the surname ANDREWS has been associated with various place names in England, such as Andrews in Cambridgeshire, Andrews Tittleshall in Norfolk, and Andrews Ampton in Suffolk, further reinforcing its English origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Andrews
Among Census respondents with the surname Andrews, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.8%. The next largest groups are Black (21.2%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Andrews bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Andrews surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White68.8% · 88,906
- Black or African American21.2% · 27,339
- Two or more races4.3% · 5,565
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4,699
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 1,379
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1,317
Timeline
Historical Census data for Andrews
Andrews appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#218
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133,799
+4,479 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 45.36
Rank movement Down 12 places
2020
#225
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129,205
-4,594 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 43.23
Rank movement Down 7 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #206 | 129,320 | 47.94 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #218 | 133,799 | 45.36 | +4,479 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 12 places |
| 2020 | #225 | 129,205 | 43.23 | -4,594 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 7 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Andrews surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #218 | #225 | -3.2% |
| Count | 133,799 | 129,205 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 45.36 | 43.23 | -4.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Andrews bearers went from 133,799 to 129,205 (-3.4% change). The surname moved down 7 positions in the national ranking, going from #218 to #225.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Andrews
FAQ
Andrews surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Andrews?
Name Census estimates that about 148,163 living Americans carry the surname Andrews. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,313 residents.
How common is Andrews?
Andrews ranks #225 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 43.23 per 100,000 residents, which is about 43 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 129,205 people with the surname Andrews. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (148,163), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 43.23 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 43.23 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 43 of them to have the surname Andrews.
Has Andrews become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Andrews went from 133,799 recorded bearers to 129,205. That is a decrease of 4,594 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #218 to #225.
What does the Census say about the background of Andrews?
Among Census respondents with the surname Andrews, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.8%. The next largest groups are Black (21.2%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Andrews in the 2020 Census, accounting for 68.8% (88,906 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Andrews appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (68.8%), Black (21.2%), Two or More Races (4.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Andrews (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Andrews mean?
A patronymic surname meaning "son of Andrew," derived from the Greek name Andreas, meaning "manly" or "masculine." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Andrews (43.23 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Andrews?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.