According to A. Bongioanni, Andrea is a patronymic surname derived from the Greek personal name Andreas, which in turn comes from the root andros, meaning “man.” The name therefore carries the sense of “virile,” “manly,” or “courageous.” Its widespread use throughout Italy is due both to its ancient origins and to the influence of Christian tradition, particularly the veneration of Saint Andrew the Apostle, one of the earliest disciples of Christ.

E. Rossoni agrees with this interpretation and notes that the surname is distributed throughout Italy, with a particularly strong presence in the northeastern regions. He regards it as part of the large group of hereditary surnames formed from given names.

A. Bongioanni further observes that in Friuli the dialectal root Dri, preserved in surnames such as Driolino, Driulino, and Driussi, is connected to local forms of Andreas, although in some cases it may overlap with names such as Federico and Enrico.

V. Blunda notes that in Sicily the Greek personal name entered local naming traditions through Christian influence and was later transmitted as a hereditary surname from one generation to the next.

Overall, Andrea is a surname of Greek origin derived from the personal name Andreas, meaning “manly” or “virile,” and originally identified the descendants of an ancestor named Andrea.