Contents [hide]

Andrus History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Citations

Andrus History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

Etymology of Andrus

What does the name Andrus mean?

The chronicle of the name Andrus begins with a family in the Pictish clans of ancient Scotland. The name is derived from the baptismal name Andrew which in Greek means manly. The name was popular as both a personal name and a surname, likely because it was the name of Scotland's patron saint. In Gaelic the name is Aindrea and Anndra which again means manly.

Early Origins of the Andrus family

The surname Andrus was first found in Caithness (Gaelic: Gallaibh), the northern tip of Scotland, a Norse/Viking controlled region from the 9th century, which became the Earldom of Caithness.

This family was strongly associated with the Clan Ross. It was originally known as the Clan Siol Andrea, meaning the race of Andrew. However, from about the year 1100 the Andrews moved south to the Dumfriesshire area of southwest Scotland. Duncan Andrew, Chief of the Clan, rendered homage to King Edward I of England in 1296. 1

Some of the family were found further south in England, specifically at Shotley in Northumberland where "Shotley Hall is said to have been built by Dr. Andrews, physician to the first royal Duke of Cumberland." 2

Sir Edmund Andros (1637-1714) was born in London and rose to become an English colonial administrator in North America. The 1689 Boston revolt was directly attributed to his actions in New England.

Early History of the Andrus family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Andrus research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1395, 1463, 1510, 1537, 1600, 1604, 1637, 1649, 1650, 1659, 1660, 1661, 1666, 1672, 1674, 1714, 1890 and 1958 are included under the topic Early Andrus History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Andrus Spelling Variations

When the first dictionaries were invented in the last few hundred years, spelling gradually became standardized. Before that time, scribes spelled according to sound. Names were often recorded under different spelling variations every time they were written. Andrus has been written Andrew, Andrews, MacAndrew, Androw, Androe, Andro and many more.

Early Notables of the Andrus family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was Alexander Andrew, Sergeant of Aberdeen; Phineas Andrews (ca. 1600-1661), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1660 to 1661; and Sir Thomas Andrewes (died 1659), English financier, supporter of the parliamentary cause during the English Civil War, Commissioner at the High Court of Justice for the trial of Charles I, Lord Mayor of London (1649-1650.)Laurence Andrewe (fl. 1510-1537), was a French translator and printer, a native of Calais and Thomas Andrewe (fl. 1604)...
Another 85 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Andrus Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Andrus Ranking

In the United States, the name Andrus is the 3,920^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Andrus family to Ireland

Some of the Andrus family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 77 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Andrus migration to the United States +

The crossing to North America did not seem so great in comparison with the hardships many Scots endured at home. It was long, expensive, and cramped, but also rewarding. North America offered land and the chance for settlers to prove themselves in a new place. And many did prove themselves as they fought to forge a new nation in the American War of Independence. The ancestors of those Scots can now experience much of their once-lost heritage through the Clan societies and highland games that have sprung up across North America in the last century. A search of immigration and passenger lists revealed many important, early immigrants to North America bearing the name of Andrus:

Andrus Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Jochem Andrus, who landed in New York, NY in 1600 4
John Andrus, who arrived in Connecticut in 1658 4

Andrus Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Enoch Andrus, who arrived in New Jersey in 1709 4

Andrus Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Abner Andrus, who landed in Illinois in 1876 4

Andrus migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Andrus Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Joseph Andrus, who landed in Canada in 1839
Reuel Andrus, who arrived in Canada in 1841
Hafia Andrus, who landed in Quebec in 1896

Contemporary Notables of the name Andrus (post 1700) +

Cecil Dale Andrus (1931-2017), American politician, 26th and 28th Governor of Idaho, 42nd United States Secretary of the Interior, Chair of the National Governors Association
Major-General Clift Andrus (1880-1968), American Director of Organization & Training Division, Department of the Army (1949-1950) 5
Jeffery Hughes "Jeff" Andrus (b. 1947), American author
William Morgan "Bill" Andrus (1907-1982), American Major League Baseball player
Chuck Andrus (1928-1997), American jazz double-bassist
Frederick Hotham Andrus (1850-1937), American outfielder and pitcher in Major League Baseball
Ethel Percy Andrus (1884-1967), long-time American educator and the first woman high school principal in California
Louis John Andrus (b. 1943), former professional American football linebacker
Milo Andrus (1814-1893), American early leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Jerry Andrus (1918-2007), American magician and writer
... (Another 27 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Andrus Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Victrix fortuna sapientia
Motto Translation: Wisdom is the conqueror of fortune.

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, October 6) Clift Andrus. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Andrus/Clift/USA.html