McAndrew
An Irish and Scottish surname meaning “son of Andrew.”
The #8,013 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 74,775 Americans shares it.
Etymology
McAndrew comes from Gaelic Mac Aindriú / Mac Aindreas, meaning “son of Andrew.” The first element, Mac, means “son,” while the personal name Andrew was borrowed through Christian tradition and ultimately goes back to Greek Andreas, “manly” or “brave.” In older sources the name is sometimes written with varied Gaelic spellings, but the core sense is straightforwardly patronymic.
History
The surname is found in both Ireland and the Scottish Gaelic world, especially in areas where Gaelic naming traditions remained strong. Historical surname writers noted Irish forms such as MacAindria and Scottish usages like Macandrew, all pointing to the same ancestral name Andrew. In modern English spelling it commonly appears as McAndrew, though MacAndrew is also seen.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
19th-century surname collectors specifically glossed McAndrew as “son of Andrew,” showing how stable the basic meaning has been across different Gaelic spellings.
From the historical record
“McAndrew. From the Irish Mac- Aindris ; a p.n. (the son of Andrew) McBean. Gael. McVean ; a p.n. (a hillman)”
— British Family Names: their origin and meaning (2nd ed.)