Okay so I have a really big dilemma. For the longest time, I’ve been in love with the name Andrea for a girl. But I have some problems with it.
For one, even though they no longer talk (because she moved away), my mom has/had a best friend named Andrea and I have her on my social media.
Two, I have a friend from high school whose name is also Andrea… we aren’t exactly close, but we do talk and I have her on social media so we do keep up with each other. I just don’t know if it would be weird to name a daughter Andrea??
And I worry that maybe Andrea isn’t that popular or that it’s too dated or that maybe it doesn’t sound as pretty as other similar girl names… I’m just feeling conflicted because I love the name Andrea 
what do you guys think?
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[name_u]Love[/name_u] it. I think it’s a pretty and not overly used name.
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I think [name_u]Andrea[/name_u] is familiar enough that you could use it, if you really love it. It just comes down to whether you feel comfortable using it, knowing that you talk to someone with the name. Still, it’s a solid name with cute nn potential
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I don’t really understand the point of the name. It literally means manly or something.
I feel similarly about the name Jane–I absolutely love it but my mom has two close friends named [name_f]Jane[/name_f], so it feels taken! Now, the [name_f]Janes[/name_f] she does actually talk to, and I don’t think I’d have the same feeling about it if it was more of a tangential connection like the two [name_m]Andreas[/name_m] you know. Anytime you pick a classic name, especially one that had a period of higher use a few decades ago, you’re going to know people currently using the name. I think a little [name_u]Andrea[/name_u] would be charming, though! Also, in my opinion name meanings are overrated 
Edited to say: I didn’t catch that you do talk to the other [name_u]Andrea[/name_u]! Maybe you could ask her what she thinks about it if it’s bugging you??
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Andrea was super popular in the 70s and 80s, and has been slowly falling in popularity since, but it’s still in the top 200. Because of that, it’s likely there are a lot of Andreas out there! This is both good, and bad. Good, because no one will think it’s weird if you choose the name despite of your mother’s friend and high school friend. It’s just a common name, it happens! But at the same time, it’s bad if you’re worried about it being dated because yes, a name that was at its peak 50 years ago is gonna feel a bit dated.
Andrea is a “mom name” to me, but I could definitely still imagine it on a little girl. I’d personally prefer something that feels a little fresher like Adriana/Andriana, Aria, etc. but I don’t think it’s a bad choice by any means!
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It does mean manly, it’s the feminine form of [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]. But there’s nothing wrong with a girl/woman being manly is there? I consider myself a tomboy, and although I’d love to dress up my girl in cute clothes and bows I know she’s probably gonna be like her mama, and my mom before me, and her mom before her. She’s probably gonna have our feisty attitudes as well, and both [name_m]Andreas[/name_m] I know are also sweet, funny, feisty, and tough as nails. I want my daughter to be her own independent woman so to me [name_u]Andrea[/name_u] means more than just “manly.”
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Of course tomboys are the greatest, but it always seemed strange to me thinking that the name is the feminine version of the word for manly, like it cancels itself out. A name that is meaningful to you is most important of course, just have to tease out what is a deal breaker and all that.
In my country is a leaning masculine gender neutral name, and for girls it has been usage only since 1990(for boys it is historical), so it doesn’t sound dated to me for a girl it sounds very cool and fresh for me, like the wave of sea!
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Your love of the name is clear which makes me think you should go for it. You’re obviously not close enough to these people that it they would think you named your child after them personally. The name feels a little 80s/90s but I think has a cool vibe still and pleasant sound so I wouldn’t call it “dated”. If you really love it and feels it’s the one then I think it’s the name
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The name meaning is not a literal translation. [name_m]Andrew[/name_m] means “manly or verile” so in other words [name_m]Andrew[/name_m] means strong. And traditionally physical strength is associated with masculinity so that’s why in [name_f]English[/name_f] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m] means “manly.”
Also- just a response to your sub post- I pulled my 1983 naming dictionary out just to check [name_u]Andrea[/name_u] (sometimes different meanings are listed) and it did refer over to the [name_m]Andrew[/name_m] description and it was lovely. Sometimes we look at just meanings but there’s something about looking at a meaning description holistically that makes you appreciate the name more that’s often missed.
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