Andrew

Etymology

From the Greek 'andreios' (ἀνδρεῖος), meaning manly or courageous, derived from 'aner' (ἀνήρ), meaning man. Andrew is one of the few disciples with a Greek rather than Hebrew name, suggesting his family may have been culturally Hellenised.

Who they were

Andrew was a fisherman from Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee, and the first disciple called by Jesus — though his brother Simon Peter became more prominent. Andrew had been a disciple of John the Baptist before Jesus, and when John pointed to Jesus saying 'Look, the Lamb of God,' Andrew followed immediately. The first thing he did was find his brother Simon and tell him 'We have found the Messiah.' This pattern — bringing people to Jesus — defines Andrew throughout the Gospels. It was Andrew who found the boy with five loaves and two fish before the feeding of the five thousand, and Andrew who brought the Greek visitors who wanted to see Jesus. He is the patron saint of Scotland, Russia, and Greece. Tradition says he was crucified on an X-shaped cross, requesting a different shape from Jesus' because he felt unworthy of the same death. His legacy is not dramatic leadership but faithful introduction — he spent his life pointing people toward someone greater.

Family

Siblings

Simon Peter

Character qualities

• Willingness to follow
• Bringing others to Jesus
• Quiet faithfulness
• Practical thinking

Key verse

John 1:41

Where they appear

Themes

Variants & related forms

André · Andreas · Andrei · Drew · Andy

Related names