Andry is a variant of Andrew, from Greek Andreas, meaning "manly" or "brave."
Andry carries two distinct cultural identities that rarely intersect, giving it an unusual double life. In the Malagasy language of Madagascar, Andry (pronounced AHN-dree) means 'pillar' or 'support' — a foundational metaphor for a child who is expected to hold up the family, to be its backbone. It is one of the more common given names in Madagascar and carries considerable dignity there.
Andry Rajoelina, who has served as president of Madagascar, brought the name into international news cycles, though for most Malagasy families the name's significance is purely familial and structural. In European tradition, Andry reads as a variant of André, Andrei, or Andrew, all descending from the Greek Andreas, built on the root aner/andros meaning 'man' in the sense of human being, strength, and courage. Andrew was one of the twelve apostles, the first called by Jesus in the Gospel of John, and the patron saint of Scotland, Russia, Greece, and Romania — a saint of extraordinary geographic range.
The name traveled from Greek through Latin Christianity into virtually every European language, generating Andrew, André, Andreas, Anders, Andrei, Andrzej, and dozens more. The spare spelling Andry sits at the elegant intersection of these two lineages — legible to European ears as a variant of the apostolic tradition, entirely at home in Malagasy culture as its own complete word. For parents in the Malagasy diaspora, it is a name that travels without needing translation. For parents outside that tradition, it reads as a quietly distinctive alternative to Andrew or Andre — familiar in feel, stripped to essentials, and carrying the weight of a metaphor (pillar, support) that any parent would be proud to give their child.