Dru

♂ Boy

Pronounced DROO /druː/High

Meaning: Strong; brave; a short form of Drew (from Andrew: defender of men) or an independent name from English dru (strength, vigor)Medium

In 30 seconds: A crisp one-syllable short form of Drew or Andrew meaning 'defender of men,' or used as an independent name. Minimal and distinctive, Dru carries rugged confidence in a single syllable.

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Origin MediumEnglish, Greek

MeaningStrong; brave; a short form of Drew (from Andrew: defender of men) or an independent name from English dru (strength, vigor)

U.S. rank (2025)#2366 ↗ Rising

2025 U.S. births58 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1999

Total births (all-time)≈ 2,787

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Dru functions as a short form of Drew (itself a short form of Andrew, from Greek Andreios: manly, brave) or as an independent English name. In some traditions it connects to the word for oak (from Celtic druid/druid: oak-knower).

Dru has appeared in U.S. boys' data and ranked #2373 in 2024. It is used as both a standalone name and a nickname name in American communities.

Did you know? Dru was a character name in the Addams Family — Uncle Fester's real name was Festus Addams, but a lesser-known character in the franchise was named Dru. More prominently, Dru appears in several films as a nickname for characters with longer names.

Overall data confidence 82%

U.S. Social Security Administration — popularity data

Variations

DrewAndrew

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

★Dru Down (1971-)
American rapper and actor from Oakland, California

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Dru mean?

Dru means 'defender of men' as a short form of Drew/Andrew (Greek Andreios: manly, brave).

How do you pronounce Dru?

It's said DROO /druː/ — one syllable, rhyming with 'blue.'

Is Dru a boy or girl name?

Dru is used as a boy's name here.

How popular is Dru?

Dru ranked #2373 for U.S. boys in 2024.