This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Drew,' or 'Dm' (Drogo in Domesday). Dm de Baladon introduced it, a follower of the Conqueror (Yonge). Sir Drew Drury was keeper of Mary of Scotland. An Illegitimate son of Charlemagne bore it, so probably it is Frankish. Drew enjoyed a fair share of public favour, but only took one diminutive, Druett or Drewett, which see. Drew has nothing to do with Andrew. In the year 1400 Drew Barentyn, twice Lord Mayor of London, came before the Council, asking to have his name Drew set down in the list of those who possessed the freedom of the city, the scribe having entered it as Andrew (Riley's Memorials of London). Drew, as a fontal name, survived the Reformation.

1583. Buried — Drew, Sonne of Nicholas Hewet: St. Peter, Cornhill.

1620. Married — Drue Simonds and Elizabeth Willington: St. Dionis Backchurch.

William fil. Drogonis, Lincolnshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Eborard Dru, Cambridgeshire, ibid.

Isouda Drewe, Huntingdonshire, ibid.

Gilbert Dreu, Oxfordshire, ibid.

Johannes Drewe, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

Robertus Drue, 1379: ibid.

Richard Drue, or Drew, bailiff of Norwich, 1392: History of Norfolk.

1527. John Drewes and Dame Elizabeth Vemey: Marriage Lic. (London).

Druce is a modern but inevitable variant of Drews; compare Ellice for Ellis, or Evance for Evans, but v. Druce (a).

1803. Married — James Druce and Sarah Dutton: St. George, Hanover Square.Stolen from Fore-bears

A common surname in the Campsie Commissariot Record. Drewe, capellanus, charter witness in reign of Alexander II (Scon, p. 62). John Drew and James Drw were tenants of the bishop of Glasgow in 1512, and Patrick Drw was renter of the land of Badirmonoch in 1517 (Rental). A John Drew is mentioned in 1526 (Cambus., 141), William Drew was a witness in Glasgow in 1552 (Protocols, I) and John Drew, maltman, became burgess freeman in Glasgow in 1577 (Burgesses). John Drew, heir of Patrick Drew in Jaw, 1581 (Retours, Stirling, 353).

(Anglo-French-Teut.) the Domesday Drogo [prob. from Frankish or Old Saxon (gi)drog-Old Norse draug-r, ghost, phantom: cp. Old Saxon drugi, delusive; also Ger. trug, illusion] William son Drogo.—Hundred Rolls Drogo was the name of a bastard son of Charlemagne.

(Anglo-Celt. or Anglo-French-Celt.) Wise Man, Magician; Druid [cp. Old Irish drui, (obl. case druid) and Welsh dryw (whence Old English dry, magician), sorcerer, druid] Dru Barentyn.—Rolls of Parl.

Dru or Drew was Latinized as Drogo in mediæval records, although I think it is clear that the two names are distinct, the one (Drogo) being Teutonic, the other Celtic.

Usually of English origin even in Clare where Ó Draoi is a native family of Thomond. Drea is another anglicized form of it. Bibl; MIF 92

(English) Descendant of Drew, Dru or Drogo (carrier), or of Drew, a pet form of Andrew (manly).

1. Drogo, an early Norman personal name, was so anglicised. 2, It is a common nickname for Andrew. 3. Dreux, a town of Brittany. At the time of the Norman survey, Herman de Dreuues was a tenant-in-chief in Herefordshire. There is a Le Dreu in H.R.

Or De Dreux, from Dreux, Normandy. Wado de Dreux was living 1050 (Ord. Vitalis). Amalric de Drewes, 1086, held lands in Wilts (Dornesd.), also Herman de D. Hugh de Drocis (Dreux) occurs in Dorset, 1203 (Rotulus Cancellarii). Walter Drew (13th cent.) held Littleton, Wilts. In 1316 Walter D. was Lord of Littleton. Their ancestor, William de Drocis, had held 2 fees, 1165, from Richard de Candos (Liber Niger). A branch became seated at a later period in Devon.

From Dreux; a location name in Normandy. See Druse.