Dries
A masculine Dutch given name derived from the Biblical name Andrew.
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Dries. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Dries today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dries births was 2019 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dries. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Dries with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Dries. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2019
6 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2019 SSA rank
#11,135
Tracked since 2019
Popularity
Dries: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Dries by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Dries during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Dries
The name Dries has its origins in the Dutch and Flemish languages, tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is a diminutive form of the name Andries, which is the Dutch and Flemish variant of the name Andrew. The name Andrew itself is derived from the Greek name "Andreas," meaning "manly" or "brave."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dries can be found in the 14th-century Dutch text "Rijmbijbel" (Rhymed Bible). This work, written by Jacob van Maerlant, mentions a character named "Andries" or "Dries," indicating the use of the name during that time period in the Low Countries.
In the 15th century, a prominent figure with the name Dries was Dries van Haerlam, a Dutch painter and architect who lived from around 1420 to 1490. He is known for his contributions to the Gothic architectural style and his work on various churches and buildings in the Netherlands.
Another notable individual named Dries was Dries Ruelens (1623-1678), a Flemish painter and engraver who was born in Antwerp. His works primarily focused on landscapes and architectural scenes, and he is considered one of the most important Flemish landscape painters of the 17th century.
In the 19th century, Dries van der Willigen (1833-1910) was a Dutch politician and jurist who served as the Minister of Justice in the Netherlands from 1888 to 1891. He played a significant role in the reform of the Dutch legal system during his tenure.
A more recent historical figure with the name Dries is Dries van Agt (born 1931), a Dutch politician who served as the Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 1977 to 1982. He was a prominent figure in the Christian Democratic Appeal party and is remembered for his role in various political developments during his time in office.
While the name Dries is primarily associated with the Dutch and Flemish cultures, it has also been used in other regions and languages, although to a lesser extent. The name has a strong historical presence and has been borne by various influential individuals throughout the centuries, reflecting its enduring popularity and cultural significance.
People
Dries + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dries as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Dries: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dries?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dries going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Dries a common name?
We classify Dries as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dries most popular?
The single biggest year for Dries was 2019, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dries is about 7 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Dries in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Dries a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dries in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Dries still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Dries in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Dries can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Dries?
If you just want to know how many Americans are named Dries, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.