2000
#8,181
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,730
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.38
Rare Last name
Drews
Derived from the given name Andrew, meaning "manly" or "masculine," or from a shortened form of Andrew.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,000 Americans carry the last name Drews. That puts it at #8,999 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 85,689 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Drews surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
4.0K
1 in 85,689
Census rank
#8,999
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,488 bearers of the surname Drews in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8999th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Drews, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Drews
The surname Drews is of German origin, derived from the Middle Low German word "drove," meaning a drove or herd of cattle or sheep. It likely emerged as an occupational surname, referring to a cattle or sheep drover who would drive herds to market or grazing pastures.
The earliest recorded instances of the Drews surname can be traced back to the 14th century in various regions of northern Germany, particularly in the areas around Hamburg and Bremen. Historical records from this period, such as parish registers and tax rolls, contain variations of the spelling, including Drews, Drewes, and Drewse.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing this surname was Hans Drewes, a merchant and landowner mentioned in the municipal records of the city of Lübeck in 1412. Another notable figure was Dietrich Drews, a prominent lawyer and jurist who lived in the 16th century and served as a legal advisor to the Prince-Bishopric of Münster.
In the 17th century, the Drews surname gained prominence with the birth of Johann Drews (1625-1698), a renowned Lutheran theologian and author from Pomerania. His works, including "Systema Theologiae" and "Concordia Practica," were widely influential in shaping Protestant theology during that period.
Another significant figure was Johann Samuel Drews (1715-1779), a German philologist and educator who served as the rector of the prestigious Grauen Kloster (Grey Friars' Convent School) in Berlin during the 18th century. His contributions to the field of classical studies and his efforts in reforming educational practices earned him widespread recognition.
In the 19th century, the name gained further recognition with the birth of Arthur Drews (1865-1935), a German philosopher and religious scholar known for his controversial work "The Christ Myth," in which he challenged the historical existence of Jesus Christ. Despite facing criticism from religious authorities, his work sparked intense debates and discussions within academic circles.
Over the centuries, the Drews surname has been associated with various notable individuals who have made significant contributions in fields ranging from theology and law to education and philosophy. While the name originated as an occupational surname, it has since become a well-established surname across Germany and other parts of Europe, as well as in communities with German ancestry worldwide.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Drews
Among Census respondents with the surname Drews, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Drews bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Drews surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 3,250
- Two or more races2.8% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 90
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 25
- Black or African American0.4% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Drews
Drews appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#8,862
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,695
-35 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 1.25
Rank movement Down 681 places
2020
#8,999
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,488
-207 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 1.17
Rank movement Down 137 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,181 | 3,730 | 1.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,862 | 3,695 | 1.25 | -35 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 681 places |
| 2020 | #8,999 | 3,488 | 1.17 | -207 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 137 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Drews surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,862 | #8,999 | -1.5% |
| Count | 3,695 | 3,488 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.25 | 1.17 | -6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Drews bearers went from 3,695 to 3,488 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 137 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,862 to #8,999.
FAQ
Drews surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Drews?
Name Census estimates that about 4,000 living Americans carry the surname Drews. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 85,689 residents.
How common is Drews?
Drews ranks #8,999 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.17 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,488 people with the surname Drews. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,000), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.17 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Drews.
Has Drews become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Drews went from 3,695 recorded bearers to 3,488. That is a decrease of 207 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,862 to #8,999.
What does the Census say about the background of Drews?
Among Census respondents with the surname Drews, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Drews in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (3,250 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Drews appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), Two or More Races (2.8%), Hispanic (2.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Drews (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Drews mean?
Derived from the given name Andrew, meaning "manly" or "masculine," or from a shortened form of Andrew. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Drews (1.17 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Drews?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Drews? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.