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National Andrea Day

An annual informal observance on December 31 honoring individuals named Andrea and the name's Greek roots in bravery and strength.

Thursday

December 2026

Last updated March 20, 2026 · by the Holiday Calendar Team

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YEARLY DATEDecember 31

OBSERVED INUnited States

CATEGORYNames

ORIGIN

Community Origin

FOUNDING ENTITY

Not documented

FIRST OBSERVED

Not documented

HOW THE HOLIDAY CAME TO BE

No documented founder or formal establishment record has been identified for National Andrea Day.

+ Know the story? Submit a founder Help us complete this holiday

INTRO

Introduction

PHOTO

National Andrea Day honors a name that spent 51 consecutive years in the U.S. top 100 baby names, from 1962 to 2013 per Social Security Administration records, peaking at number 23 in 1978. Derived from the Greek word andrós, meaning "brave" or "manly," Andrea is one of a small number of names that function as masculine in one major language and feminine in most others.

The name's roots trace back to Andrew the Apostle, the "First-Called" disciple, whose legacy stretches from the fishing villages of Galilee to the national flag of Scotland. Falling on December 31, National Andrea Day gives the Andreas of the world a reason to celebrate before the calendar turns.

ORIGINS

Andrea Day history

INTRODUCTION

The story of the name Andrea begins with the Greek word andrós, which translates to "man" or "brave." That root produced Andreas, one of the oldest recorded personal names in European history, borne by Andrew the Apostle in the first century. Andrew was a fisherman from Bethsaida in Galilee and the older brother of Simon Peter, the figure who would become the first leader of the Christian church.

According to the Gospel of John, Andrew was the first disciple called by Jesus, earning him the title "Protocletos", or "First-Called," in Eastern Orthodox tradition. After the crucifixion of Jesus, Andrew traveled extensively as a missionary, preaching across the Black Sea region and establishing early churches in what is now Greece and Turkey.

CHAPTER 01

A name that crosses gender lines

While Andrew remained the dominant male form across most of Europe, the variant Andrea took a different path in Italy, where it stayed exclusively masculine. The Renaissance produced several of the name's most notable bearers in its Italian male form: Andrea Palladio, whose architectural treatise shaped buildings from English country estates to the U.S. Capitol, and Andrea Mantegna, whose fresco cycles defined early Renaissance painting.

In the English-speaking world, however, Andrea gradually shifted to feminine use, likely influenced by its "a" ending. By the mid-twentieth century, the name was almost exclusively given to girls in the United States, United Kingdom, and other Anglophone countries.

CHAPTER 02

A half-century in the American mainstream

SSA records document Andrea's rise to popularity with unusual precision. The name entered the U.S. top 100 in 1962 and remained there continuously until 2013, a 51-year streak. It peaked at number 23 in 1978, placing it among the most popular names of the disco era. By 2024, it had settled to number 185, but with an estimated 462,579 living bearers in the United States alone, Andrea remains one of the most common names among American women.

CHAPTER 03

An observance without a documented founder

No documented founder or formal establishment record has been identified for the December 31 observance. With an estimated 462,579 living bearers in the United States alone, the holiday gives one of America's most durable given names its own date on the calendar.

TIMELINE

National Andrea Day Timeline

Andrew the Apostle is martyred

Andrew, whose name gave rise to Andrea, was crucified on an X-shaped cross in Patras, Greece, becoming one of the earliest Christian martyrs and patron saint of Scotland, Russia, and Greece.

Andreas Vesalius publishes anatomy text

The Flemish physician Andreas Vesalius published De humani corporis fabrica, a groundbreaking work on human anatomy that revolutionized the study of medicine and remains a landmark in scientific history.

Andrea Palladio's architectural legacy solidifies

Italian architect Andrea Palladio published I Quattro Libri dell'Architettura, a treatise that influenced centuries of Western architectural design from English country houses to the U.S. Capitol.

Andrea enters the U.S. top 100

SSA data shows Andrea broke into the top 100 baby names for American girls, beginning a 51-year streak that would make it one of the most durable names of the late twentieth century.

Andrea peaks at number 23 nationally

The name reached its highest recorded position in the United States at number 23, reflecting a broader wave of Italian-influenced and classical names popular during that era.

Andrea ranks third for boys in Italy

Italian national statistics recorded Andrea as the third most popular name for newborn boys, underscoring the name's continued masculine usage in its country of linguistic origin.

GET INVOLVED

How to Celebrate National Andrea Day

Research the etymology of your own name

Use Behind the Name's Andrea entry as a starting point, then look up your own name's Greek, Latin, or other linguistic roots. Comparing your name's trajectory against SSA popularity data often reveals patterns you never noticed.

EXPLORE

Explore Palladian architecture near you

Andrea Palladio's design principles influenced buildings from Thomas Jefferson's Monticello to city halls across the Americas. Search the Palladio Museum's online collection to see how one Andrea shaped the built environment you walk through every day.

LISTEN

Listen to Andrea Bocelli's catalog

Stream Bocelli's landmark albums, starting with Romanza or his crossover duets that introduced operatic tenor performance to pop audiences worldwide. His music provides an accessible entry point to the classical Italian vocal tradition the name Andrea has long been associated with.

SEND

Send a message to an Andrea you know

With an estimated 462,579 people named Andrea in the United States alone, the odds are strong that someone in your life carries the name. Use the day to send a specific, personal note rather than a generic greeting.

COOK

Cook an Italian dish in honor of the name

Since Andrea remains one of Italy's most popular masculine names, mark the day by preparing a classic Italian recipe. Try a simple cacio e pepe or risotto using techniques from Accademia Italiana della Cucina, the institution dedicated to preserving Italian culinary tradition.

WHY THIS DAY MATTERS

Why We Love National Andrea Day

The name carries a documented cultural legacy

From Andrea Bocelli, whose album Romanza sold over 20 million copies worldwide, to Andrea Pirlo, whose midfield play helped Italy win the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the name spans fields with measurable cultural impact. Andrea Palladio's architectural principles are still taught in universities and visible in government buildings across the Western world.

It highlights a rare cross-gender naming phenomenon

Andrea is one of the few names in active global use that functions as masculine in one major language and feminine in most others. In Italy, it ranked third for newborn boys in 2006, while in the United States, 99 percent of its usage is for girls, making it a documented case study in how cultural context shapes gender perception of names.

It connects to measurable naming trends

SSA data traces Andrea's full arc in the United States: 51 consecutive years in the top 100, a peak at number 23 in 1978, and a gradual decline to number 185 by 2024. That trajectory mirrors a broader generational shift away from classical European names toward newer inventions and revivals.

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