Andreia is the Portuguese feminine form of Andrew. It is primarily used in Portuguese-speaking countries, especially Brazil and Portugal. The name derives from the Greek name Ἀνδρέας (Andreas), which comes from the element ἀνδρεῖος (andreios) meaning "manly, masculine," itself derived from ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man."Etymology and HistoryThe root name Andrew shares the same etymology as Andreia. In the New Testament, Andrew was one of the first disciples of Jesus and the brother of Simon Peter. His Greek name was likely a translation or nickname of his original Hebrew name, which is unknown. As a feminine form, Andreia has been used in Portuguese since at least the 20th century.Cultural SignificanceThe name appears consistently in Brazil and Portugal, with a variety of notable bearers, particularly in sports and entertainment. Andreia is also the name of fictional characters in Portuguese-language media. It shares forms in other Romance languages, such as Andrea (see Andrea) in Italian and Spanish.Notable BearersAndreia Aparecida Hessel (born 1984), Brazilian marathon runnerAndreia Bandeira (born 1987), Brazilian amateur boxerAndréia de Olicar (1976–2020), Brazilian singer and composerAndréia Horta (born 1983), Brazilian actressAndréia Suntaque (born 1977), Brazilian football (soccer) goalkeeper and world travelerAndreia Norton (born 1996), Portuguese footballerRelated FormsVariants include Andréa (especially in Brazilian Portuguese), Andréia, Andressa, and Andreza. The masculine counterpart is André. Other cognate females forms exist across European languages, such as Andriana (Greek) and Andreja 1 (Slovene).Meaning: Womanly, feminine form of Andrew (from Greek 'andreios' — masculine)Origin: Portuguese feminization of Greek-derived name AndrewType: Mainly gender specific feminine given nameUsage Regions: Primarily in Lusophone countries (Brazil, Portugal), also in other Portuguese-speaking communities