Meaning: Its source is Andreas, a Greek name meaning "Manly."

Origin: "Andreas."

Languages: This boy's name is used in Italian.

Popularity: The name Andrea ranked 900th in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

Narrative: The manliness this name refers to has nothing to do with aftershave or matinee idols. It refers to the duties of a male in the patriarchal society of ancient Greece. The first duty of a man was to protect his home, and this name is sometimes translated as ''warrior.''

In the Christian scriptures, this was the name of one Jesus' first disciples, a brother to Simon Peter. Though he figures in a few Biblical stories, the traditions about his missionary travels after the resurrection are extensive. In fact, Christians in the far-flung regions of Greece, Russia and Scotland all look to him as their patron saint.

Meaning: Its source is Andreas, a Greek name meaning "Manly."

Origin: "Andreas."

Languages: This girl's name is used in English, Portuguese and Spanish.

Nickname For: Alexandria

Nicknames: Ande, Andi, Andie and Drea

Compound Forms: Deandrea and Andi-Lynn

Alternative Spellings: Aondrea and Aindrea

Variant Forms: Andera, Andra, Andre, Andreana, Andree, Andria, Andriana, Andrianna, Andrietta, Andrina, Aundrea, Ondrea, Andrewina, Andrienne, Andrine, Andrette, Andrene, Andreena, Andrean, Drena and Dreena

Non-English Forms: Adreanna and Andrijana

Popularity: The name Andrea ranked 46th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of 2000-2003 Social Security Administration statistics, 81st in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census and 30th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1994 US Census.

This name is highly rated both on the 1990 U.S. Census list and in state data recording the most popular baby names.

Narrative: There is some dispute about the origin of Andrea as a feminine name, which only made its appearance among English speakers in the 17th century.

It may have been developed by the Scots directly from the English Andrew, the name of their patron saint, without reference to the Greek Andreas. Or it may have been derived independently from the Greek vocabulary word andreia (meaning ''manly'' or ''warrior'') that is the common ancestor of all these names.

Whatever its origins, it has enjoyed wide popularity among all English speakers in the 20th century.