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Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

Drew m. Frankish drogo, of uncertain origin, perhaps related to Old Saxon (gi)drog 'phantom, ghost'.

The first known bearer of the name was a son of Charlemagne. It is also the name of a 12th C French saint.

In England, Drew is also sometimes a nickname of Andrew.

France
Latin
1107 Drogo (abl) CartStPC XVII; 1115 Drogo (nom) CartNDJosaphat V; 1135 Drogo (nom) clairvaux-12thc 7; 1138x1162 Drogo (nom) ibid. 61; c1140 Drogo (nom) CartNDdOurscamp LXXXIII; 1147 Drogo (nom) clairvaux-12thc 14, Drogone (abl) ibid. 19; 1147x1162 Drogone (abl) ibid. 55; 1154 Drogo (nom) ibid. 28; 1160 Drogonis (gen) CartNDdOurscamp CXIV; 1162 Drogo (nom) clairvaux-12thc 40; 1163 Drogonis (gen) ibid. 99; 1163–64 Droco (nom) ibid. 117, Drogo (nom) ibid. 114; 1164 Droco (nom) ibid. 121, Drogo (nom) ibid. 121, Drogonis (gen) CartNDdOurscamp C; 1171 Drogo (nom) clairvaux-12thc 139; 1178 Drogo (nom) ibid. 166; 1179 Drogo (nom) ibid. 176, Drogonis (gen) ibid. 178; 1188 Drogo (nom) CartNDdOurscamp XCIV; 1190 Drogo (nom) ibid. LXXIX; 1201 Drogo (nom) ibid. LXI; 1203 Drogo (nom) ibid. CXXV, Drogone (abl) ibid. CXXV; 1236 Drogo (nom) ibid. CCXVI, Drogonis (gen) ibid. CXXVI; 1257 Droconis (gen) ArrestReg-volI V, Candlemas; 1258 Droco (nom) ibid. II, BMV, Droconis (gen) ibid. II, BMV; 1259 Droco (nom) ibid. XVI, Pentecost, Droconem (acc) ibid. XVII, Pentecost; 1260 Droco (nom) ibid. X, St. Martin, Drocone (abl) ibid. VII, Pentecost, Droconem (acc) ibid. VII, St. Martin; 1301 Droco (nom) MemPic-vol17 p. 202
1378 Drueti (gen) hanquetvol1 466
Old French
1296 Dreue paris1296 p. 36, Dreues ibid. p. 49, Droyn ibid. p. 29; 1301 Drieue (obl) MemPic-vol17 p. 242; 1313 Dreue Paris1313 p. 22, Dreues ibid. p. 32, Dreus ibid. p. 14, Drue ibid. p. 9
1313 Drouet Paris1313 p. 7
Middle French
1423 Dreue favier 402
1392 Drouet MemBret-II col. 602; 1418 Drouet HGParis p. 388, Drouyn ibid. p. 386; 1423 Drouet favier 191
Germany
Latin
822x875 Drogo (nom) TradCorb §74; 834 Drogonis (gen) HambUrk-vol1 VIII; 895 Druogo (nom) ibid. XXV
Ireland
Latin
fin12thC Driu (nom) MunDocIr III, p. 6
Cite as: S.L. Uckelman. "Drew". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2015, no. 3. http://dmnes.org/2015/3/name/Drew.