Girl · Old English · International · Christian
Audrey
AudreySay it AW-dree
- Meaning
- Noble strength (Old English æðele 'noble' + þrýþ 'strength') Bosworth-Toller, entries 940 and 32201
- Say it
- AW-dree
- Other spellings
- Audrie, Audra
Audrey
Stays on your phone. A family name is never required.
Audrey meaning
Audrey is an international and Christian girl's name of Old English origin.
Noble strength (Old English æðele 'noble' + þrýþ 'strength')
Audrey is a shortened form of Etheldreda, the Latin spelling of the Old English name Æðelþrýþ. Its parts are æðele, "noble", and þrýþ, which Bosworth-Toller's dictionary gives as force, power and strength, so the name means "noble strength". Saint Æthelthryth was an East Anglian princess and Northumbrian queen who founded the abbey at Ely and died in 679. Etymonline explains that the word tawdry comes from "St. Audrey's lace", cheap neckwear sold at the Ely fair held in her honour. In modern times the name is linked above all with the actress Audrey Hepburn.
Source: Bosworth-Toller, An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary (1898), entries 940 and 32201 · entry æðele; þrýþ · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Online Etymology Dictionary, Audrey · Online Etymology Dictionary, tawdry · Bosworth-Toller, æðele · Bosworth-Toller, þrýþ · Wikipedia, Æthelthryth
Famous namesakes
- Saint Æthelthryth (Audrey), abbess of Ely
- Audrey Hepburn, actress
Popularity abroad
- #86 United States, girls 2025 (down 4 from 82 in 2024)
US Social Security Administration - #312 England and Wales, girls 2025
Office for National Statistics
Official birth registrations. India publishes no national name statistics.
Spellings
Audrey · Audrie · Audra