Andrea

Andrea is a traditionally feminine name (in fact, it's the feminine form of Andrew, which itself comes from the Greek Ἀνδρέας or Andreas) but we know a few male Andreas as well, so feel free to use it for any gender. Andrea has been said to mean "brave," "manly," "courageous," or "warrior," so it pairs well with other warrior names like Brianna, Bridget, Deandra, Meredith, or Zelda. Andrea works in Spanish and French as well as English and its initial Greek, and can be pronounced ANN-dree-a or Ahn-DRAY-a. Favorite variants include Andria, Andreah, and Andreea.

Popularity-wise, Andrea started taking off in the U.S. in the 1930s and reached peak usage in 1981, with nearly 12,000 Andreas born. It began declining thereafter, with only about 2K babies named Andrea in 2018.

If you're into that early-'80s name vibe, you could also go with Jessica, Jennifer, Sarah, Stephanie, or Melissa. "A" name alternatives to Andrea include Amanda, Ashley, Angela, Ana, and Alexandra.

Famous Andreas throughout history include painter Andrea Mantegna, opera singer Andrea Bocelli, actor Andrea Martin, author Andrea Hirata, poet Andrea Gibson, and athlete Andrea Petkovic.

Andrea in quotes:

“Before I die, I want to be somebody’s favorite hiding place, the place they can put everything they know they need to survive, every secret, every solitude, every nervous prayer, and be absolutely certain I will keep it safe. I will keep it safe.”
― Andrea Gibson

"Writing is taking a risk, and it is actually fighting invisible and invincible enemies. They are over-confidence, stupidity, expectation and narcissism." — Andrea Hirata