Audrey

How to say it

/ˈɔ.dri/

What it means

From Old English Æthelthryth, 'noble strength,' shortened to Audrey through centuries of compression. The patron saint Æthelthryth of Ely is the historical anchor.

Audrey is the smoothed-out form of Old English Æthelthryth (æthel 'noble' + thryth 'strength'), the name of a 7th-century Anglo-Saxon princess and abbess. Her cult was popular in medieval England, where 'St. Audrey' became a contraction. Tawdry, the English word for cheap finery, comes from St. Audrey's fair, where cheap lace was sold. The name dropped after the Reformation, returned mildly in the 19th century, and surged after Audrey Hepburn lit up Roman Holiday in 1953. It's been a steady top-100 name in the US since the 2000s. Aud is the only common short and it rarely sticks.

Heads-up notes

• Pop culture

  Audrey Hepburn is the overwhelming association for anyone over forty; Twin Peaks' Audrey Horne is the second strongest. Both flatter the name.

Who's worn it

Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.

• Audrey Hepburn Belgian-British actress, Roman Holiday and Breakfast at Tiffany's
• Audrey Tautou French actress, Amélie
• Saint Audrey of Ely 7th-century Anglo-Saxon abbess, source of the word 'tawdry'

Spelling variants

• Audra

Names with the same feeling

• Eloise Healthy, hardy
• Evelyn Hazelnut, or wished-for child
• Violet Violet flower
• Scarlett Bright red
• Hazel Hazel tree

See Audrey from another angle