Andrea (/ˈændriə, ˈɑːn-, ɑːnˈdreɪə/) is a given name which is common worldwide, cognate to Andreas and Andrew.
It is traditionally popular because, according to the Christian Bible, Saint Andrew was one of the earliest disciples of Jesus and one of the twelve Apostles.
It derives from the Greek ἀνήρ (anēr), genitive ἀνδρός (andrós), that indicates the man as opposed to the woman (while man in the meaning of human being is ἄνθρωπος, ánthropos, ἀνθρώπου, anthrópou). The original male Greek name, Andréas, (directly etymologically related to andras/άνδρας, man/adult male, husband) 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). The same root ἀνδρ-, andr- denoting the male gender is found e.g. in misandry (the hatred of the male sex), andrology (male physiology), androgens (male hormones) and polyandry (the practice of taking more than one husband at the same time).
In the year 2006, it was the third most popular name in Italy with 3.1% of newborns. It is one of the Italian male names ending in a, with others being Elia (Elias), Enea (Aeneas), Luca (Lucas), Mattia (Matthias), Nicola (Nicholas), Tobia (Tobias). In recent and past times it has been used as a female name also in Italy, but not very often. Outside of Italy, the name is generally considered a female name.
In Czech, Slovak, Polish, Slovenian, Dutch, English, German, Hungarian, Scandinavian languages and Spanish, Andrea is the feminine form of Andrew. Masculine forms are Andrej, Ondřej, Andrzej, Anže, Andrew, Andreas, András, Andreo, Andrés, Anders, Andries or Andre.In Albanian and Romansh Andrea is a masculine name, the equivalent of Andrew.In Italian, Andrea is a primarily masculine name.In Bulgarian Andrea 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 needle in Romanian. Andrei is the masculine form.Andréa is a Brazilian Portuguese form of Andrea also used in Portugal along with Andreia.In Dutch, Andrea is used as a female name, although the variant Andrée is found in French.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".Andrea Alföldi (born 1964), Hungarian race walkerAndrea Allan (born 1946), American actressAndrea Anders (born 1975), American actressAndrea Armstrong (born 1982), former American collegiate basketball playerAndrea Ávila (born 1970), Argentine long and triple jumperAndrea Baker, American actressAndrea Barber (born 1976), American actressAndrea Barthwell, American federal civil servant and Illinois political hopefulAndrea Berg (born 1981), German volleyball playerAndrea Borrell (born 1963), Cuban basketball playerAndrea Bowen (born 1990), American actressAndrea Brown (born 1974), American singerAndrea Canning (born 1972), Canadian-American broadcast journalistAndrea Češková (born 1971), Czech MEPAndrea Corr (born 1974), Irish musicianAndrea Demirović (born 1985), Montenegrin singerAndrea Dewar (born 1979), Canadian water polo playerAndrea Dworkin (1946–2005), American radical feminist and writerAndrea Echeverri (born 1965), Colombian singer and guitarist, lead singer of the rock band AterciopeladosAndreea Ehritt-Vanc (born 1973), Romanian tennis playerAndrea Farkas (born 1969), Hungarian handball goalkeeperAndrea Feldman (born 1948), American actressAndrea Fioroni (born 1969), Argentine field hockey playerAndrea Fischer (born 1960), German politicianAndrea Gibson spoken word artist and activistAndrea Ghez (born 1965), American astronomerAndrea Glass (born 1976), German tennis playerAndrea Hall (born 1947), American soap opera actressAndrea Hayes (born 1969), American backstroke swimmerAndréa Henriques (born 1980), Brazilian water polo playerAndrea Hlaváčková (born 1986), Czech tennis playerAndrea Immer Robinson (born 1964), Master Sommelier and Dean of Wine Studies at the French Culinary InstituteAndrea Jaeger (born 1965), American former tennis playerAndrea Jeremiah (born 1985), Indian Tamil playback singer, film actress and a model.Andrea Jung (born 1959), business executiveAndrea King (1919–2003), American actressAndrea Koppel (born 1963), American news correspondentAndrea Lau (born 1947), German actressAndrea Leeds (1914–1984), American actressAndrea Lehotská (born 1981), Slovak television hostess, actress, and top model.Andrea Levy (born 1956), British authorAndrea Lewis (born 1985), Canadian actressAndrea Libman (Born 1984), Canadian Voice ActressAndrea Lowe (born 1975), British actressAndrea Martin (born 1947), actress and comedianAndrea Mason (born 1968), Australian politicianAndrea Mayr (born 1979), Austrian long-distance runnerAndrea McArdle (born 1963), American singer and actressAndrea Mitchell (born 1946), American news correspondentAndrea Moody (born 1978), Canadian swimmerAndrea Murez, Israeli-American Olympic swimmer for IsraelAndrea Petkovic (born 1987), Glass's German compatriot and tennis player but she was born in Tuzla, Bosnia.Andreea Raducan (born 1983), Romanian gymnastAndrea Romano, American voice actressAndrea Temesvári (born 1966), Hungarian former tennis playerAndrea Thompson (born 1960), American actressAndrea Tóth (born 1980), Hungarian water polo playerAndrea True (born 1943), Porn actress and singerAndrea Yates (born 1964), American defendant in a notorious filicide caseAndrea Zollo, American singerAndrea Zonn (born 1969), American singer and musicianAndrea Zsadon, (born 1946) Hungarian sopranoAndrea, (born 1987), Bulgarian singerAndrea Aguyar (died 1849), Uruguayan slave turned soldier and revolutionaryAndrea Alciato (1492–1550), Italian juristAndrea Amati (1505–1577), luthier from Cremona, Italy, credited with making the first instruments of the violin family that are in the form we use todayAndrea Antico (c. 1480 – c. 1538) was an Istrian music printer, editor, publisher and composer of the RenaissanceAndrea Aleksi (1425–1505), Albanian architectAndrea Ammonio (c. 1478–1517), Italian poetAndrea Andreani (1540–1623), Italian engraver on woodAndrea Appiani (1754–1817), Italian painterAndrea Argoli (1570–1657), Italian mathematician and astronomerAndrea Bacci (born 1972), Italian race car driverAndrea Baldini (born 1985), Italian fencerAndrea Bargnani (born 1985), Italian basketball playerAndrea Barzagli (born 1981), World Cup-winning Italian football playerAndrea Bianchi (born 1925), Italian film directorAndrea Boattini (born 1969), Italian astronomerAndrea Bocelli (born 1958), Italian singer, writer and music producerAndrea Bogdani (1600–1683), Albanian prelate and scholarAndrea Bonomi (1923–2003), Italian footballerAndrea Branzi (born 1938), Italian architect and designerAndrea Briosco (c. 1470–1532), Italian sculptor and architectAndrea Camilleri (born 1925), Italian writerAndrea Casiraghi (born 1984), eldest child of HRH Princess Caroline of MonacoAndrea Cesalpino (1519–1603), Italian physician, philosopher and botanistAndrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo (born 1925), Archbishop of TuscaniaAndrea Costa (1851–1913), Italian socialist activistAndrea Doria (1466–1560), Genoese condottiere and admiral.Andrea Dovizioso (born 1986), Italian motorcycle racerAndrea Ferrara, 16th century Scottish artificer who introduced the manufacture of the high-quality steel blades bearing his nameAndrea Figallo (born 1972), Italian composer and conductorAndrea da Firenze (?-1415), Italian composerAndrea del Verrocchio (c. 1435–1488), Florentine sculptorAndrea diSessa, (born 1947) American academic and epistemologistAndrea Gabrieli (c. 1532/33-1585), Italian composerAndrea Gioannetti (1722–1800), Italian Roman Catholic bishop and cardinalAndrea Iannone (born 1989), Italian MotoGP driverAndrea Kim Taegŏn (1821–1846), first Korean Catholic priest, Patron Saint of Korea for the Catholic ChurchAndrea Luchesi (1741–1801), Italian composerAndrea Mantegna (c. 1431–1506), Florentine painterAndrea Massena (1758–1817), French military commander of Sardinian origin during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, one of the original eighteen Marshals of the Empire created by NapoleonAndrea Nuciforo (1964), US politician who served as Democratic State Senator (1997-2007), representing the Berkshire, Hampshire & Franklin district in western MassachusettsAndrea Orcagna (c. 1308–1368), Florentine painter, sculptor and architectAndrea Palladio (1508–1580), Italian architectAndrea Pazienza (1956–1988), Italian comics artistAndrea Pirlo (born 1979), World Cup-winning Italian football playerAndrea Pisano (c. 1270–1348), Italian sculptor and architectAndrea Prader (1919-2001), renowned Swiss scientist and physician, co-discoverer of the Prader-Willi syndromeAndrea Prosperetti (born 1944), Italian physicist, member of the U.S. National Academy of EngineeringAndrea Renzullo (born 1996), German singerAndrea Sansovino (c. 1467–1529), Italian sculptorAndrea Meldolla (1510/1515–1563), also known as Andrea Schiavone or Andrija Medulic, was a Dalmatian Renaissance painter and etcherAndrea Solari (c. 1460–1524), Renaissance painterAndrea Tacquet (1612-1660), Flemish mathematician and Jesuit priest whose work prepared the ground for the eventual discovery of the calculusAndrea Tafi (fl. 1300–1325), Italian artistAndrea Vesalius (1514-1564), Flemish physician, author of influential books on human anatomy and often referred to as the founder of modern human anatomyAndrea Viterbi (born 1935), birthname of Italian-American scientist and engineer Andrew Viterbi, winner of the National Medal of ScienceAndrea Zanzotto (1921-2011), Italian poet