Drees

Drees is a surname found in the Netherlands and in German-speaking regions. The name is most commonly encountered in the Netherlands, where it is often considered a patronymic derived from Dries, a given name short for Andries (Andrew). The form may also reflect regional spellings and migrations that spread Dutch and German families across Europe and to diaspora communities.

In Dutch, Dries is a familiar given name, and the surname Drees can be traced to descendants of someone named Dries. In other contexts, the surname may have independent origins in German-speaking areas, though such connections are less precisely documented.

Notable bearers include Willem Drees (1886–1988), a Dutch politician from the Labour Party who served as Prime Minister from 1948 to 1958 and oversaw postwar reconstruction and welfare-state development.

See also Dries (given name) and Dries (surname).