It’s a rough time to be named Andrew. In recent years, notorious figures like Andrew Tate and the former Prince Andrew have dominated headlines, giving us a bad name. Even the CEO caught up in that Coldplay scandal was an Andy. It’s been a bad run. As an Andrew myself, I wanted to find some better representatives, so I recently set out on a mission: to find fellow Andrews doing good in the world.
That’s how I stumbled upon thousands of Andrews at once.
These Andrews belong to an exclusive community. It’s a closed-off collective you can only join if your first name derives from the Greek root name Andreas. They meet privately online, exchanging hundreds of messages each month. They follow specific rules, have their own flag, and hold an annual festival where members meet in person. I’ve just traveled 140 miles to attend one of their gatherings, which is how, on a Saturday in January, I find myself walking toward a circle of strangers, all named Andrew.
It started on Facebook, where I spotted a group called the Council of Andrews. It was locked, but I could see it had almost 6,700 members. “This group is for Andrews only,” one of the rules in the sidebar insisted. The cover photo featured a stylized letter “A” surrounded by a circle, like a parody of the Star Trek logo. In the “About” section, the group describes itself as “Dedicated to uplifting the Drewish Community towards prosperity and self-actualization.” I didn’t know what any of that meant, but I wanted to find out, so I requested to join and was quickly accepted.
My feed instantly filled with Andrews, Andrés, Drews, and Andreas. There was a seemingly endless stream of every kind of Andrew, going back years. It was clear that the group went far deeper than a meme about a shared name. But what exactly were all these Drews doing here?
In early February 2019, Andrew Patts was feeling lonely. The now 34-year-old had returned from deployment in Djibouti and Somalia with the U.S. Army Reserve and relocated from his hometown in California to St. Louis, Missouri. He was in a new city more than 1,600 miles from home, Valentine’s Day approaching, with no date and no friends. So he doomscrolled on Facebook and saw a comment from someone named James, inviting another person named James to an exclusive group just for people named James.
“I was like, ‘Huh, you know what? I think it’d be pretty cool to meet a whole bunch of Andrews,'” Patts tells me. So he created a group aimed at people with his name. He only knew one other Andrew back then, so he looked through Facebook for more and sent them a mysterious message that read, “You’re invited to join the Council of Andrews.”
It worked. Although it wasn’t clear what they were signing up for, 1,000 members joined within eight months. Patts remembers the date they hit that milestone, October 15, because it’s now known among the community as Drewnity Day.
Andrew Austin, a 55-year-old from Fort Payne, Alabama, was among them. “It intrigued me as I was retired and, as we southerners are fond of saying, ‘I was bored outta my gourd,'” Austin says. Seven years on, he’s a committed member and spends about 30 minutes a day in the group, drawn in by the wide variety of Andrews.
“We have doctors, mechanics, lawyers, law enforcement officials, clergy, military, craftsmen, truckers, homemakers, arts and crafts experts, collectors, gamers, students, retirees, and more from whom to seek knowledge,” says Austin. “Even if you never post, one can always read and learn.”
In the last month, therThere have been 631 new posts in the group. On a typical day, members start discussions centered around the name Andrew—like figuring out who has the most Andrews in their family (the winner was a fourth-generation Andrew with a son named Andrew V) or sharing places around the world named Drew, such as Drew, Oregon and Drew, Ontario. Others post memes, daily life updates, or ask fellow Andrews for advice on everything from setting up a printer to handling a breakup. Fundraising posts are also a regular feature of the group.
They run an annual Christmas gift drive where members buy presents for children of Andrews facing financial hardship. “The moment I realized the council could really make a difference was when an Andrew needed help with a custody battle,” says Patts. “He was spending all his money on a lawyer and needed help covering rent, so he came to the council for support. The Andrews raised $1,500 for him.”
Inspired by that, Patts turned the Council of Andrews into a nonprofit to help more Drews in need. When they learned that a member named Andrew Pagano lost his leg in a motorcycle accident, they raised about $5,000 to buy him a prosthetic, according to Patts.
Pagano shared over email, “The Council has made me feel nothing short of loved. I’m forever grateful to my Drewish brothers and sisters. There’s nothing quite like this council, and I hope to find success so I can pay it forward to other Drewds who deserve it even more.”
In addition to the Christmas drive, Patts started a fund to support members through college. “Our scholarship lets Andrews know they have a whole world of Andrews cheering them on,” he says. “Our $50 scholarship isn’t huge, but it covers most application fees.” So far, at least six members have received the bursary, including Andrés Tejeda, a 28-year-old from Chicago, Illinois, who joined in June 2020.
“At first, I honestly thought it was strange that a group of people with similar names had an online space to gather,” says Tejeda. He used the scholarship to buy an important textbook during his TV and radio broadcast journalism degree and later landed his dream job as a sports broadcaster. Now he shares career updates with fellow Andrews who cheer him on. “It’s so nice to have the kindness of strangers who just voice their support,” he says. “It’s a point of hope in my online world.”
So far, the group has raised over $15,000 for Andrews, says Patts. “It’s such a blessing to be able to help other people help other people.”
In June 2024, members agreed on a design for their official flag, which Patts holds up in his profile photo. It’s blue with a gold X running diagonally—meant to echo the St. Andrew’s Cross, though it looks a bit like a misprinted Swedish flag. In the center is their stylized “A” logo, surrounded by seven stars representing their core values: aspire, network, develop, resilience, excellence, wonder, and succeed. The stars also symbolize their goal to unite Andrews across all seven continents, though they’re not quite there yet. Patts says about 95% of members are from the U.S., with the remaining 5% spread across 30 countries, including in Europe, Mexico, and Canada.
A few hundred women are in the group, like Andrea Carbone, 38, from Greenville County, South Carolina, who was named after her grandfather. Carbone joined in 2023 while looking for community after moving to a new home without family nearby. She enjoys sharing Andrew-themed content, like a photo she posted in March 2024 of a local restaurant called Andrew’s Atomic Dogs. An Andrew commented…You look up the name Andrew and it says ‘manly’ or ‘leader,’ but I’ve never felt like that. I feel a bit feminine, I’m not into sports, and I’ve always thought, ‘Well, I’m not an Andrew,'” he tells me. “I originally wanted to change my name because I couldn’t relate to anyone else who had it. In a way, I’ve really come to terms with who I am through a silly little Facebook group.”
As photos from the gathering are shared in the group chat, many Andrews express disappointment at missing it or ask when the next meet-up will be. The chat is renamed in anticipation of the next event, with new members invited. It reminds me of what Patts told me about the potential of this network of people sharing the same name: “You know, 40 can soon become 400, and then 4,000. It feels like just the beginning of something big.”
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs Restoring the Name Drew
BeginnerLevel Questions
Q1 What is this about Why is the name Drew being discussed
A1 The name Drew has recently been associated in the media with controversial public figures leading some people to feel the names general reputation has been negatively affected
Q2 What is a worldwide network of Drews
A2 Its a hypothetical or real community of people named Drew Andrew Andrea etc who could work together to positively represent the name through good deeds professional excellence and positive public presence
Q3 Can a names reputation really be damaged by a few people
A3 Yes in the short term Highprofile negative associations can create unfair stereotypes or unconscious bias but a names longterm reputation is shaped by everyone who bears it
Q4 What are some simple things a person named Drew could do to help
A4 Be a positive force in your community excel in your field and politely correct misconceptions if someone makes a negative joke about the name based on those associations
Intermediate Practical Questions
Q5 How could a network of Drews actually work to improve the names image
A5 Through coordinated positive action highlighting achievements of other Drews community service projects under a Drews for Good banner or a social media campaign showcasing diverse positive stories from people with the name
Q6 Isnt this just a silly or superficial idea
A6 While the premise may seem lighthearted it touches on a real phenomenon guilt by association Proactively building positive associations is a legitimate strategy in public relations and personal branding
Q7 What are the potential pitfalls or problems with this idea
A7 It could be seen as trivializing serious allegations against the figures in question The effort must focus on building new positive associations not engaging in direct confrontation or defensiveness
Q8 Are there examples of other names or groups doing something similar
A8 Yes Many groups reclaim and redefine terms or identities associated with negativity Professional associations often work to improve the public image of their field
