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Me – in about 6th grade?

Virtually everyone I know knows me as Drew. But my legal name is actually Thomas Andrew Meyers, so every time someone finds out my legal name is Thomas Andrew, they ask how & why Thomas Andrew turned into Drew. I thought I’d give a little background after talking to my mom (I was too small to remember everything on my own).

My name was supposed to be Christopher Todd. My dad liked Christopher and disliked Todd. My mom liked Todd, and while she liked Christopher, it was a very popular name at the time (1982) and she wanted something a little more uncommon. Therefore, even though my parents had agreed to Christopher Todd, my mom was unwilling to call me Chris, and my dad was unwilling to call me Todd. So, we reconsidered. I was named after Saint Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland (my mom has always been very proud of her family’s Scottish heritage). Thomas was a family name. Grandma Meyers’ maiden name was Thomas. Both my parents really liked both names, Andrew and Thomas, but thought Thomas Andrew sounded better than Andrew Thomas. Both my dad and mom liked Thomas, but there was already a Thom Meyers, my dad’s oldest brother. Thus, I went by Andrew until kindergarten.

Andrew didn’t last. This is about where I start remembering the story myself and not having to rely on my mom for the details. My friend up the hill, Aaron, started calling me Andy, which I hated for whatever reason, so Andrew was shortened to Drew in kindergarten or first grade.

That’s the background for those who cared. What’s the story behind your name?