The first name Adrian
A boy’s name from Latin meaning “from the roman harbor hadria”.
Pronounced /ˈeɪ.dɹiː.ən/ 3 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Latin origin
Adrian means “from the roman harbor hadria” in Latin.
From Latin Hadrianus (“from the Roman harbor Hadria”) a place name ultimately from Etruscan 𐌇𐌀𐌕𐌓𐌉𐌀 (hatria). Doublet of Hadrian. See Adria.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 161 boys were named Adrian, making it the 279th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2013, with 273 births (#203).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Adrian with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Adrian at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 4,464 boys born in the United States were named Adrian, the 74th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2008, when 7,938 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Adrian in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Adrian in Danish, German, Norwegian, Polish, Romanian and Swedish too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Adrian
144 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Adrian SmithEnglish guitarist, born 1957
- Adrian Năstase59th Prime Minister of Romania (2000-2004)
- Adrian NeweyBritish Formula One engineer, born 1958
- Adrian WillaertFranco-Flemish composer and founder of the Venetian School (1480–1562)
- Adrian GrenierAmerican actor, director, producer, musician, born 1976
- Adrian PasdarAmerican actor and director, born 1965
- Adrian LamoAmerican hacker and threat analyst (1981–2018)
- Adrian LyneBritish film director, born 1941
- Adrian BelewAmerican rock musician, born 1949
- Adrian LulgjurajAlbanian singer, born 1980
- Adrian QuistAustralian tennis player (1913–1991)
- Adrian BoultBritish conductor (1889–1983)
More Latin boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Adrian mean?
- Adrian means “from the roman harbor hadria” in Latin.
- What is the origin of the name Adrian?
- From Latin Hadrianus (“from the Roman harbor Hadria”) a place name ultimately from Etruscan 𐌇𐌀𐌕𐌓𐌉𐌀 (hatria). Doublet of Hadrian. See Adria.
- How popular is the name Adrian?
- In 2025, 161 boys born in England and Wales were named Adrian, ranking 279th. Its peak was 2013, with 273 births.
- Is Adrian a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 95% of the 287,982 US babies named Adrian since 1880 were boys.
- When was Adrian most popular?
- 2008 in the United States, when 7,938 babies were named Adrian, its highest rank at 56th.
- How do you pronounce Adrian?
- Adrian is /ˈeɪ.dɹiː.ən/, 3 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Adrian?
- Hadrian and Adria.
- Is Adrian also a surname?
- Yes. Adrian is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.