For the Australian radio broadcaster known as "Andrea", see Dorothy Jenner.

Andrea is a personal name common in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. It is the feminine form of Andrew or Andreas which in turn comes from a Greek word meaning manly (ανερ means man). It stands to reason that the female name translates to womanly, and that is in fact the definition in various baby name books. In Italy, however, Andrea is a masculine name, the equivalent of Andrew. Pronunciations of the name vary in whether the "E" and the first "A" are long or short, as well on which syllable the emphasis lies.

The common Portuguese and Brazilian variation is Andreia. The Irish variation is Aindrea. English variations include Andreana and Andriana.

Common nicknames for Andrea include Andie, Andi, Rhea, and Drea. The name is (rarely) alternately spelled "Andria." When spelled this way, masculine definitions don't apply and the meaning adjusts to "Maiden of Andros, a Greek island."

The name Andrea has acquired an arguably unfair reputation of stereotypically belonging to someone older and more nerdy in recent years and anecdotal evidence points to the popularity of Beverly Hills 90210 and its fictional character of Andrea Zuckerman (played by Gabrielle Carteris), who was indeed a mousey nerdy type, being a major influence on this perception.

Another prominent fictional Andrea (though played by a real Andrea, Andrea Byrne ) was in the 1980s children's television programme You Can't Do That on Television, which in its - later banned - "Adoption" episode, parodied the character of Little Orphan Annie as "Little Orphan Andrea".

Notable people named Andrea

Men

• Andrea Andreani (1540-1623) Italian engraver on wood
• Andrea Bocelli (born 1958) singer, writer and music producer
• Andrea Broscio (c. 1470-1532) Italian sculptor and architect
• Andrea Cesalpino (1519 - 1603) Italian physician, philosopher and botanist
• Andrea Costa (1851-1913) was an Italian socialist activist
• Andrea dal Monte Sansovino (c. 1467-1529) Italian sculptor
• Andrea diSessa educator
• Andrea Doria (1466-1560) Genoese condottiere and admiral
• Andrea Guatelli (born 1984) Italian football player
• Andrea Mantegna (c.1431-1506) Florentine painter
• Andrea Orcagna (c.1308-1368)Florentine painter, sculptor and architect
• Andrea Palladio (1508 - 1580) Italian architect
• Andrea Pazienza (1956 - 1988) Italian comics artist
• Andrea Pirlo (born 1979) Italian football player
• Andrea Pisano (c. 1270 - 1348) Italian sculptor and architect
• Andrea Solari (c. 1460-1524) Renaissance painter
• Andrea Tafi (active 1300–25) Italian artist
• Andrea Zanzotto (born 1921) Italian poet
• Andrea Casiraghi (born 1984) Eldest child of HRH Princess Caroline of Monaco. Second in line to the throne of Monaco.

Women

• Andrea Allan (born 1946) American actress
• Andrea Barber (born 1976) American actress
• Andrea Bowen (born 1990) American actress
• Andrea Corr (born 1974) Irish musician
• Andrea Dworkin (1946 – 2005) American radical feminist and writer
• Andrea Evans (born 1957) American actress
• Andrea Feldman (born 1948) American actress
• Andrea Fischer (born 1960) German politician
• Andrea Ghez American astronomer
• Andrea Hall (born 1947) American soap opera actress
• Andrea Jaeger (born1965) professional tennis player
• Andrea Jumapao (born 1958) model and actress
• Andrea Jung (born 1959) business executive
• Andrea Koppel news correspondent
• Andrea Lau (born 1947) German actress
• Andrea Leeds (1914 – 1984) American actress
• Andrea Levy (born 1956) British author
• Andrea Lewis (born 1985) Canadian actress
• Andrea Martin (born 1947) actress and comedienne
• Andrea Mason (born 1968) Australian politician
• Andrea McArdle (born 1963) American singer and actress
• Andrea Mitchell (born 1946) Australian news correspondent
• Andrea Dewar (born 1979) Canadian water polo player
• Andrea Thompson (born 1960) American actress
• Andrea True (born 1943) porn star and singer
• Andrea Zsadon (born 1946) Hungarian soprano