Andy is a name of English origin that has been used for both boys and girls in recent years. It is a diminutive of the name Andrew, which is derived from the Greek name Andreas, meaning "manly" or "warrior". The name Andy has become popular due to its simplicity and ease of pronunciation. It has also gained popularity through various cultural influences such as movies, music, and literature. For example, the character Andy Pandy in a popular British children's television show and the lead character Andy Dufresne in the movie Shawshank Redemption have contributed to the name's popularity.
"Initially, the name Andy was quite popular with around 50-60 births per year between 1880 and 1892. However, it saw a significant increase starting from 1897, peaking in 1959 with 1428 births. The popularity of the name continued to rise throughout the 1950s and 1960s, reaching its highest point in 1965 with 1482 births. After this peak, the number of Andy births began to decline, falling to around 1000 births per year by the early 1970s. The popularity of the name has continued to fluctuate over the decades, with recent years seeing fewer than 1000 births annually. In total, there have been 92988 Andy births recorded since 1880."